Martin Luther King Day, January 16 2012, is a State and Federal holiday, and there are several events planned around the Twin Cities to celebrate Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Celebrations, community events, community breakfasts, marches, rallies, opportunities to give service to the community and more: here's a list of events on Martin Luther King Day in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Martin Luther King Day, January 16 2012, is a Federal and State holiday. Many businesses and organizations are closed - plan with this list of what is open, and what is closed on Martin Luther King Day in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

I went outside wearing shorts today, in the spirit of a proper Minnesotan in the winter. But right now, going out in shorts in January is just not all that hardcore.

Why is the winter of 2011/2012 so warm?  January 5, 2012, smashed previous records for the first week of January in Minnesota, with a weather station in Canaby, southwest Minnesota recording a high of 63F, which is 4 degrees above the previous high for this week.

The total snowfall for this winter, to date, is 10.3 inches, as recorded at Minneapolis-St. Paul airport. And that's not looking like it will change any time soon, with no precipitation in the forecast. What's the lowest snowfall ever, for a Minnesota winter? 14.2 inches, in the winter of 1930-31. This winter, gloomily for snow-lovers, is in with a chance of joining the record low snowfall years.

The National Weather Service reports that less that 5% of the Upper Midwest is covered by snow today, and the average depth is a measly 1.4 inches. This time last year, over 90% was covered with an average of 5 inches of snow.

What the heck is going on? Chicago Magazine printed a story with weather experts explaining how it's all to do with solar flares, oscillations in the atmosphere, and the most extreme jet stream ever. Yikes.

Where's the nearest place to Minnesota with snow? The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is about 4 hours away, and their ever-reliable lake effect snow is still working, albeit with much less gusto than usual. The cities of Ironwood and Bessemer, just over the Wisconsin border, are the central of activity for skiing (downhill and cross country), snowboarding, snowmobiling and snowshoeing.

Locally, Theodore Wirth park in Minneapolis has been making snow for their 2.5K cross country ski trail, which is fully open. And ski hills around the Twin Cities are fully open and still making snow, and skiing/riding conditions are... kinda OK. We'll take what we can.

• Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship, January 12-14. Red Bull and their particular brand of lunacy seem to enjoy the Twin Cities, favoring us with home-made avionics at the Red Bull FlugTag in the summer of 2010. This winter, the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championships descend on the St. Paul. The Red Bull Crashed Ice event is a downhill ice skating race, pitting the fastest skaters against each other, as well as drops, jumps and turns, at St. Paul's Cathedral.  Qualifiers on Thursday and Friday, and the grand final is Saturday, when one skater will be crowned World Champion.

• Free Family Funday at North Mississippi Regional Park, January 14. Every Saturday, North Mississippi Regional Park in Minneapolis holds family-friendly events for kids to learn about the flora and fauna of Minnesota. This week, it's all about animal tracks - search for tracks, try to figure out who made them, and make your own. The weekly events are free, and no registration is required - just show up. 1 pm - 3 pm at the North Missisippi Regional Park in Minneapolis - here's more info.

• Art Shanty Projects, January 14 and 15, and weekends through February 5: Cancelled in 2011, but joyfully returning for 2012. The Art Shanty Projects sees Minnesota artists constructing ice fishing houses on Medicine Lake in Plymouth, and inviting the public to visit, and also to take part in projects and performances on the ice. This weekend is the grand opening with music, games, and festivities for all ages.  Directions, and schedule of events here.

Looking for more ideas for things to do? Here's more January events, more free things to do in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and 100 more free things to do in Minneapolis and St. Paul.