One of a Midwesterner's favorite topics is the weather. If you've spent more than a few minutes in Minnesota, you've probably realized the weather can change on a dime. There's an old saying, "If you don't like the weather, wait fifteen minutes."
Whether the saying is true is open for debate, but it certainly gives people something to talk about while they're waiting for the sun to come back out. One morning begins with frost on the windshield before giving way to an afternoon warm enough to push everyone into short sleeves. And don't get too comfortable, because Mother Nature has no problem reminding you she's still in charge. Around here, snow has a habit of showing up long after everyone thought winter had packed its bags.
Of course, longtime residents insist Minnesota doesn't really have four seasons. Bernard Gerardy, who traded Flat Rock for Phoenix several years ago, once explained it best.
"Minnesota only has two seasons," he laughed. "Winter and road construction. Summer's about the best three weeks we've got."
It's hard to argue with him.
When someone asked how he handled the desert heat, Bernard just smiled.
"It's simple," he replied. "You stay out of it. It's like January back in the Cities. You brave the fifteen-below temperatures just long enough to get in and out of the car. Summer in Arizona is the same. We know better."
Bernard is right about the construction. As soon as the snow finally melts, orange barrels appear almost overnight. Detours become part of everyday life, and locals instinctively know to leave a few extra minutes for just about any trip. My nephew, who went to college in St. Cloud, used to pull up directions on his phone every Monday morning when he drove back to school. It wasn't because he didn't know the way—it was because his phone could tell him how long the drive would actually take based on road construction.
Still, the unpredictable weather is part of what makes northern Minnesota special. The first warm day of spring sends people walking downtown with cups of coffee in hand. Summer evenings fill the shoreline of Lake La Pointe with anglers hoping for one more bite before sunset. Autumn paints the trees in brilliant shades of red and gold, while winter transforms the town into the kind of postcard visitors can't resist photographing—assuming they visit during the winter, which most of them wisely don't.
And if all else fails, there's one forecast the people of Flat Rock trust more than any television meteorologist.
Just outside White's Hardware sits the town's famous Weather Rock, mounted atop a wooden platform extending from the side of the building.
Its forecasting system has remained remarkably consistent for years:
-If the rock is warm, it's sunny.
-If it's wet, it's raining.
-If it's white, it's snowing.
-If you can't see the rock... it's probably foggy.
And if the rock is missing altogether, you may want to head for the storm shelter.
It may not be the most sophisticated weather station in Minnesota, but around here, it has one advantage every forecaster envies. The Weather Rock has never once had to apologize for getting the forecast wrong.