Shirtless Minnesotans: A Phenomenon

Yesterday's 50 degree warm spell has prompted this post on a phenomenon I took notice of in the early 1990s while in high school. I'd forgotten about it until last spring when my husband and I were making trips to MN to look for a house. One such visit took place during an unseasonably mild April weekend. Maybe it was in the 60s, certainly not the 70s or 80s, and we witnessed several different men with their shirts off.

For those of you who have lived here for awhile you know the feeling when the air starts to warm up and 50 degrees feels like summer vacation? Well many residents seem to think that indeed, temperatures in the high 50s and into the 60s constitute a heat wave, and so the wearing of shorts and sandals and the removal of shirts, is an all too common phenom. I will admit, that as a youth, I definitely donned shorts in weather that would make a Floridian bundle up. But even though I drove with my window down yesterday, I can assure you that shorts and sandals have another 20 degrees to go!

image: Georgia Gould (BTW those aren't really shirtless Minnesotans, but try googling and see what you find!)