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Minnesotans make the best of Saint Paul Winter Carnival despite the lack of winter

You might not need a thick jacket, but the ice sculptures might.

SAINT PAUL PARK, Minn. — Normally, you bundle up for the Saint Paul Winter Carnival. But on Friday, a lot of Minnesotans were wearing a light jacket or sweatshirt.

The warmer weather was a big reason why many came out. 

"I had to take my jacket off," laughed Joan Anderson. 

Anderson was in a happy mood celebrating her husband's birthday in Rice Park. But there was a touch of sadness to her evening. 

"We walked by and we thought this is really sad," she said, as she watched artists work on ice sculptures. "We have to insulate our own ice in Minnesota in January."

John Njoes is one of three artists working on a frozen snail with a castle on its back. The competition only lasts 48 hours and artists are making up for the 'warmth' with reflective blankets and dry ice. 

"We usually we don’t have to worry about it because it’s outside and it’s winter," said Njoes. 

He and his team have been pulling all-nighters to work on the ice during the coolest part of the day. 

"We saw flip-flops today," said Njoes. "Flip-flops! I thought yesterday's shorts was going to be the icing on the cake. It was flip-flops."

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