In summer months, Minnesota particularly the south can experience somewhat violent storms and tornadoes. Minnesota also can have very cold winters and very hot, humid summers. Be sure to pack accordingly.
In winter months, make sure to check the ice thickness before going out on a frozen lake or pond. Do not park your vehicle on a lake or pond unless it is deemed safe by the local DNR officers. Never walk on river ice. It may appear safe but may not be thick enough to support your weight, due to the river current flowing underneath.
talk
The stereotypical Minnesotan dialect as popularized in the film Fargo is more prevalent in northern Iron Range and rural parts of the state than it is in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. In fact, in the metropolitan area, the accent is rarely noticed by visitors, much less the locals. The dialect is characterized by long vowels and a slight inflection especially Os as found in the word "boat". The sing-songy intonation is less common with each generation removed from the Scandinavian ancestors. Native Americans primarily Ojibwe have an accent of their own.
In addition to a unique dialect, Minnesota also has several phrases and colloquial expressions that can be overheard somewhat frequently. These include:
Uff-da (Norwegian exclamation meaning "Off it!" Typically used as a response to surprising or exasperating circumstances.
You betcha You bet/of course
Hot dish Casserole
Oh yah Yes
Lutefisk A traditional Scandinavian food of dried white fish soaked in lye.
Choppers leather mittens with wool inserts, used for the really cold days
Twenty below shorthand for 20 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit, or -30'C without windchill, which is when choppers start becoming necessary)
Tuque Knitted winter hat
Sorels brand name of preferred winter boots, leather/rubber exterior, felt inserts
boughten adjective for a store-bought item, as opposed to home-made, as in 'boughten bread'
sled slang term for a snowmobile
popple aspen or poplar tree, one of the most common trees in northern Minnesota and important part of the logging industry
a forty 40 acres (about 16 hectares, or quarter-mile by quarter-mile of land, a derivative of the Public Land Survey PLS system)
Acrost Scandinavian influenced regional pronunciation of "across"
Up north Usually refers to anywhere that is north of the Twin Cities or where the person is at that time. ex.- Up north to Ely [while in Duluth]
Parka A very warm winter coat
Skol (Originally from the swedish term skål, a common drinking phrase used when clinking glasses together, such as "Cheers", "Salud", or "Chin Chin." Also used in their song for the Minnesota Vikings American football team, "Skol Vikings."
Snus A swedish word for wet snuff, a tobacco variety common in the North
schnort "would you like a schnort?an extra splash or shot of whatever your drinking, schnapps, whiskey, rum. usually hard alcahol.
A soft drink is typically called 'pop', rarely soda - even in newspaper advertisements. If you ask for a "coke" you will receive a regular Coca-Cola, you will not be asked "What kind?".
Sentences frequently end with a preposition, such as "Are you coming with?". If the sentence doesn't end with a preposition, the filler word 'then' may be appended, as in "So how's the car been running then?" Pronouns are dropped when assumed to be understood, "Took the car to the dealer, told me it just needed a new battery". People tend to speak modestly without extra superlatives or direct commands "Most folks turn off their cell phones before church starts, you know." Garrison Keillor, a radio personality and humorist, often plays this up in his "Prairie Home Companion" which takes place in the fictional town of Lake Wobegon, somewhere near St. Cloud.
Locals also tend to softly "hum" before saying goodbye in informal conversation. "Bye" is commonly pronounced "mmmbye", with the second syllable much shorter than the first.