ST PAUL, Minn. — Just days after hitting 80 degrees, weather in the Twin Cities Saturday took a cruel turn, heading back into territory better associated with fall.
"I mean, we've had nine months of winter already, so this shouldn't be anything," said Michael Runyon, owner of The Nook in St. Paul.
The Nook was one of 20 restaurants competing in the Twin Cities Burger Battle on Harriet Island Saturday.
"It's rain or shine, so we're kind of expecting to do it regardless," Runyon said, "So, hopefully no thunder and lightning."
They put up more tents at the Burger Battle, in anticipation for rain. Despite the forecast, they still expected at least 2,000 people to show up.
"It's a good breeze, you know," Runyon joked about the wind.
It's not hard to be in good spirits, knowing that not long ago, Mother Nature was a much more serious concern for the event.
"About a month ago, this was completely under water," said Burger Battle founder, Jim Buron, while pointing to the stretch of park now set up for the event, "It was three feet of water, all through the park, all the way up to the stage."
Water from the Mississippi River filled the grounds of the park. The Burger Battle is the first event there since it went down.
"We'll take the rain over flooding. Absolutely," Buron said.
The Burger Battle was far from the only Twin Cities event dealing with less than ideal weather.
Waldmann Brewery in St. Paul held their first Maifest, a celebration of the start of spring on a day that felt more like fall.
"Well, hey, it's still 30 degrees warmer than it was a month ago. We'll take that," said owner Tom Schroeder.