Every region has its quirks, but Minnesota? We’re an entirely different species once the temperature drops below 30. There’s something about snow, cold, and communal suffering that shapes us into people who are both extremely practical and a little bit unhinged in the most endearing way.

So in honor of winter, and everyone currently pretending 35 degrees is “warm,” here are 10 surefire ways to know you’re officially Minnesotan.

Every. Single. Year.
Someone walks outside in January and says, “Whoa, it’s cold!”

Yes babe. It’s Minnesota, and it’s the dead of winter. It’s our villain origin story.

There comes a day when you willingly jump into a lake so cold that your soul temporarily leaves your body and returns with… character development.

You’ve never felt more alive — or more personally attacked by nature.

It looks peaceful. It looks graceful. And then 14 seconds in, you realize this sport was invented by a Viking with something to prove. Plus it’s that dreaded combo of feeling like your limbs are going to freeze off, but also being so layered up that you get hotter than heck, sweat through your snow pants, and then literally freeze.

Beautiful? Absolutely.
Exhausting? Yes.
Will you do it again? Perhaps in another lifetime.

The collective personality shift is immediate:

The sun does something to us. Scientists should study it.

We all know we shouldn’t drive in whiteout conditions. But also…we’re tough. We know what we’re doing… and “This is basically a Subaru commercial now, right?”

Every Minnesotan has had at least one moment where they mistake survival instincts for main-character energy.

Do we check the ice thickness? Do we test it strategically? Absolutely not. We step out with the confidence of someone who has decided their fate.

Two-time Academy Award winner. A force in American Horror Story. One of the most admired actresses of her generation. Jessica Lange was born and raised in Cloquet before heading out into the world to collect Emmys, Golden Globes, and general cinematic domination.

Once winter hits, being snowed in becomes a vibe:

No, I’m not a bear, but also I might be willingly hibernating.

You haven’t officially bonded with Minnesota until you’ve:

…and then realized the roads are completely fine.

Classic Minnesota chaos.

We call it Minnesota Nice™ — and while yes, it is kind — it also provides 48 hours of moral superiority. We could have thrown our backs out with that heavy kind of snow. We earned it.

There is no weather too extreme for us. We will happily stand outside drinking beer at a temperature that could freeze eyelashes. Because this is Minnesota. And winter can’t defeat us if we refuse to acknowledge it.

You’re one of us. Do share… what’s your Minnesotan tell? ❄️💛