This Minnesota Dairy Queen opened in single-digit cold, continuing a 77-year tradition

The March 1 opening date honors a decades-old tradition for the historic ice cream shop -- no matter how cold the weather.

The Moorhead Dairy Queen opened for the season on March 1, with ice cream fans braving single-digit temperatures to get their sweet treats and honor a 77-year tradition at the Minnesota location.

According to AccuWeather data, the historical average temperature for early March in Moorhead shows it’s typical to see snow and below-zero temperatures this time of year.

In the days leading up to opening, the ice cream shop kept a close eye on conditions. “Yesterday we were wiping away winters dirt and our cleaning towels did not freeze to our service counters and patio furniture! We call that a win!” the shop posted on Facebook a few days before opening for the season.

Still, nothing stopped Moorhead DQ fans from facing the cold for their frozen favorites.

The Associated Press reported that people were bundled up on March 1, waiting for the windows to open for the historic — and tasty — tradition. Temperatures were in the single digits, around 6 degrees, on the big day, with an AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature of 1 degree below zero.

In addition to being one of the original Dairy Queen franchises operating in extreme cold, this location is also where the famous “Dilly Bar” was invented in 1955.

To celebrate its claim to fame, a giant Dilly Bar sculpture sits outside the Moorhead location.

The Moorhead Dairy Queen is open each year from March 1 through the end of October.

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