People Braving Conditions On Coldest Morning Yet

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It's so cold, you only want to be outside as long as you absolutely have to be.

The extreme temperatures and brutal wind chills forced many schools to start late on Friday and some were even closed. But for a lot of us it's business as usual.

For the people who couldn't walk and stay warm in the skyways to get to work, it was a speedy dart to their destination. The temperature with wind chill felt like 25 below zero in downtown Minneapolis Friday morning.

Out at Lake Calhoun, crews are weathering the bitter cold to prepare for the annual Loppet cross country ski race taking place this weekend. While they have to be outside, one Twin Cities couple, the Schlafer's, chose to be. For the past two years, they've walked outside every single day.

Diana says her Dad used to tell her there are no excuses when it comes to the cold.

"It was 45 below on the day you were born so if it's warmer than that, you should be quiet and happy," Diana said. "I'm not going to be the one who wimps out on him, and he's not going to wimp out on me."

Diana's birthday, by the way, is Saturday and thankfully it won't be 45 degrees below zero. She and her husband James had icicles on their eyelashes. They typically walk between four and seven miles every day.

Diana crafted a hand muff out of an old wool sweater and lined it with faux fur to help them keep their hands warm. while holding hands.

The good news to report is that despite the bitterly cold conditions outside, Twin Cities hospital officials said it appears people are taking precautions. Allina Hospitals only treated one person due to the cold weather and Hennepin County Medical Center haven't had any.