The West Metro "In-Between": Navigating the March Muck and Magic

Between the pothole marathons and the first signs of green, March in the West Metro is a season of transition. Here’s how we’re navigating the "In-Between."

There is a specific kind of patience required to live in the West Metro during the second week of March.

One day, we’re scouting the trails at French Regional Park, dodging the lingering ice patches; the next, we’re strategically navigating around the new "craters" appearing on County Road 101. It’s the season of the "In-Between"—too late for the heavy parkas, but arguably too early for the garden hose.

But look closely, and the community is waking up.

While the City of Plymouth is already coaching us on "Planting for Pollinators" (a great reminder to leave those dead stems alone for a few more weeks!), our neighbors in Wayzata are settling into a new era of leadership. Even the talk of a new Arts Center in Maple Grove feels like a breath of fresh air—a reminder that while we’re currently staring at brown grass, there are big, colorful things on the horizon.

As we move through this muddy transition, we want to hear from you. What’s your favorite "first sign of spring" in the West Metro? Is it the first sighting of a swan on Lake Gleason, or simply the day the local car wash line finally shrinks?

Drop us a note or tag us in your local photos. We’re building this publication to be a digital front porch for our community—and the view is about to get a lot better.