Congratulations are in order for those hearty souls in and around the area who stayed in Albert Lea through the winter.

We are talking about those among us who didn’t go south for the winter, not even for a week or a weekend. These are the tried and true Minnesotans who stuck around all winter, who bundled up before going to work daily, who shoveled their sidewalks and driveways dutifully after each snowfall and who kept a close watch on their thermostats.

This winter dropped freezing rain on us, too. These good folks who stuck around all winter were out there chipping ice, spreading sand and salt and doing their best under the circumstances. They were not in Texas, Arizona, Mexico or Florida to escape the cold. They were here, and we thank you.

We aren’t in charge of the weather, but if we were, we would dedicate the warm weather coming next week to the all-winter dwellers. Of all people, they deserve to enjoy outside air temperatures above freezing the most. Even though Albert Lea just has received about 9 inches of snow in two days, it isn’t expected to stay around for long.

Check out the high temperatures for Albert Lea offered by Weather Underground:

Thursday: 32 degrees

Friday: 39

Saturday: 41

Sunday: 41

Monday: 34

Tuesday: 34

Wednesday: 45

Thursday, March 14: 48

To be sure, it’s not 50-degree weather, but after being in the icebox all winter, highs in the 40s sure sounds nice. Spring seems on the verge of springing.