‘Just unbeatable’: Summer-like temps return to metro, warmest Oct. 22 in over 3 decades

It’s kind of a gift, isn’t it?

“You can’t not come outside,” said Anne Sands, from Lakeville. “This weather is just unbeatable.”

That includes warm sand, good tunes and beach volleyball at Bde Maka Ska Park.

“It’s what I love to do,” Brannon Peterson, visiting from Hopkins, said, smiling. “We’re out here pretty much any day the weather’s great all summer. When you get news like this, you take advantage of it.”

That “news” Saturday included a balmy high of 77 degrees — despite the brilliant fall colors on display. The record high on this day is 81 degrees, set in 1992.

Sands, along with her canine pal, Layla, were among those enjoying these dog days of October.

They were both in southwest Florida, just last week.

“I live here and sometimes about six to seven months in Florida,” Sands said. “Of course, there was the hurricane weeks ago, and it was just really bad, there was a lot of displaced people, and even though the weather was nice, the water was clear, but you know, this weather is unbelievable, so I came back and I’m enjoying every minute of it.”

All those soccer players, bicyclists and hammock loungers aren’t the only ones enjoying this autumnal wave of warmth.

Paul Shula, owner of Bev’s Wine Bar in the city’s Warehouse District, said even a brief window of patio weather is like a customer magnet.

“This time of year it could be 40 and snowing or obviously 75 and sunny. Seventy-five and sunny is always better,” he said with a grin. “I anticipate this evening there’ll be more.”

“We just want to get out and enjoy this before it gets too cold, and the girls wanted to get out and do something different,” added Jon Lance, who grabbed an outside table. “So we felt like going out here and haven’t been down here for a while.”

Weather experts say the last time it was this warm in Minnesota on Oct. 22 was in 1991 — a summerlike 76 degrees.

And, not to spoil the mood, but just nine days later that year came the infamous Halloween blizzard.

“The Halloween blizzard, that’s right!” Sands recalled. “Somebody said something about that, but I don’t think we’re going to have that next week, I don’t think. Let’s hope not.”

“My sisters got stuck at home, they had a bunch of friends over and got stuck after the blizzard,” Peterson laughs. “But I wasn’t born yet.”

The warm weather party is to continue Sunday, with temperatures again reaching the high 70s.

Sands and her volleyball pals say they plan to be out at the park again.

A weekend with temperatures to savor — and perhaps a time to skip checking your calendar.

“Oh, it’s lovely out,” Peterson exclaimed. “I mean, I was eyeing it up at work and got to get out here, it’s perfect.”