GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — Jamie Lang plays disc golf every December, no matter the weather.
But playing disc golf in nearly fifty-degree temperatures, on Dec. 8, like he did on Friday?
That's a novelty.
"I have to second-guess and check the calendar," Lang said during an afternoon round at Brookview Golf Course. "What day is it?"
The high of 49 on Friday didn't break a Twin Cities record, but the unseasonably high temperatures brought a lot of folks outside, as they savored every last minute of warm weather before winter.
That included Travis Bernardy, who also played disc golf at Brookview on Friday with a group of three others.
"I kind of forget it's December, honestly," he said. "We all ski and snowboard, so [disc golf] is a little bit of a different sport for us, but we're making the most of it."
The warm temperatures have posed a challenge for cross-country ski courses across the Twin Cities. So far Theodore Wirth Park has been one of only three locations in the area to offer cross-country ski trails, given the lack of snow so far this year.
Claire Wilson, the executive director of the Loppet Foundation, said their group has been making snow since Thanksgiving. That's kept high school and youth ski groups going, for the time being.
"We're working literally around the clock to provide a winter experience for folks," Wilson said. "It's a joy fest, but it's like 800 people on a mile of snow!"
No matter what winter brings in terms of snowfall this year, Wilson said her organization will be prepared for the Loppet's main events in February -- including the 2024 Loppet Cup from Feb. 17 to Feb. 19.
"Once we've made the snow, we can keep the snow. I often get asked, 'will you have snow for the World Cup in February?'" Wilson said. "Yes, we will have snow for the World Cup. I can promise you that."
By February, a 49-degree day like Friday will feel like summer.
But until the doldrums of winter set in, people like Jamie Lang are going to enjoy their disc golf.
"Just trying to get the most out of these warm days in December," Lang said. "We'll take the cold for the next couple of months and then spring is here again."
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist: