Spring break season hits the Twin Cities this week.

Why it matters: The office might be a little emptier and the airport lines a little longer for the next few weeks as colleagues, friends and neighbors seek a respite from one of Minnesota's least favorite months.

Driving the exodus: South Washington County and Anoka-Hennepin, the state's largest school district, are among those off this week, kicking off a month or so of higher-than-usual travel demand at MSP Airport.

State of the runways: MSP expects more than 192,000 passengers to go through its security checkpoints for this first wave of spring break travel, which started Thursday and runs through today, with the busiest days projected to attract 49,000 travelers.

• The next super busy period, which starts Thursday, March 20, could see 47,000 passengers a day.
• Minneapolis and St. Paul go on break a week later, starting March 28.

By the numbers: Those passenger volumes are about 20% higher than typical February levels.

Threat level: The busiest times for ticketing and security tend to be between 4am and 8am. Travelers should check the status of the lines before they leave.

Yes, but: Getting to the airport even earlier won't give you an edge.

• As the owner of one local black car service often points out, security checkpoints don't open until 4am.

The bottom line: There's no need for FOMO if you're staying home all month.

• There are plenty of things to do for adults and kids enjoying a staycation here.

✈️ But if you are traveling, bookmark our MSP Airport hacks and dining guide to do it like a pro.

More than 2,000 drivers were ticketed for parking infractions at MSP Airport's drop-off and pickup zones last year, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: As anyone who's been to the airport lately can attest, the traffic situation at the arrivals zone gets bottlenecked at peak times due to drivers parking, idling or inching along the curb.

By the numbers: Airport police issued 2,387 citations at Terminals 1 and 2 in 2024, data obtained by Axios via a public records request shows.

Yes, but: The vast majority — 2,125— were for cars left parked and unattended in the loading zone. About 50 more were left with the keys in the ignition.

• Just 200 tickets went to drivers who were idling or stopped in the loading zone, an infraction many Axios readers say is to blame for the traffic issues.

The big picture: MSP estimates that roughly 12.2 million vehicles a year move through the two terminals.

💭 Torey's thought bubble: As a driver, it costs you nothing to do the right thing by helping keep traffic moving, regardless of the risk of getting a ticket!

Go deeper: Who, me? The MSP Airport traffic blame game

🗳️ Former state Senate DFL Leader Melisa López Franzen announced her campaign for U.S. Senate this morning. (Background via Axios)

• The former legislator was most recently the executive director of government and community relations at the University of Minnesota.

🛒 Downtown St. Paul's only grocery store, the Lunds & Byerlys at Robert Street and 10th Street East, will close on March 26. (Pioneer Press)

• CEO Tres Lund said a drop in customers post-pandemic and an increase in costs related to shoplifting and other security-related issues drove the decision.

⚖️ President Trump said Friday that he hasn't considered pardoning Derek Chauvin. (Star Tribune)

• "No, I haven't even heard about it," he said of a conservative commentator floating the idea.

💰 Last week's state budget forecast revealed that the Department of Human Services has to repay the federal government $113 million for improper payments to mental health facilities. (Minnesota Reformer)

• DHS says while the services were legitimate, a "coding error" led the agency to reimburse claims out of the wrong bucket of funds.

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We're grateful for your trust and continued readership.

NFL teams can begin negotiating with free agents this morning, and the Vikings are likely to be one of the biggest movers and shakers.

Why it matters: Despite a surprising 14-3 season in 2024, the Vikings have a bunch of holes to fill as they try to build a roster capable of making a deep playoff run.

The latest: Multiple reports say that the Vikings are unlikely to re-sign Sam Darnold, which means the they will have a boat load of salary cap space to sign other players.

State of play: The Vikings have three major areas of need, and with only four picks in the upcoming draft, they will need to nail free agency.

• The offensive line was exposed in January's playoff loss to the Rams. They probably need two new guards and maybe a new center.
• All three of the team's top cornerbacks are free agents. The Vikings are trying to re-sign Byron Murphy Jr., but they will have competition.
• It's been years since the Vikings have had a game-wrecking defensive tackle. While there are some intriguing free agents, the team might be wise to wait and nab one in a draft that is said to be stacked at the position.

A full "Blood Moon" total lunar eclipse is set to grace the sky this week.​

🗓 When to watch: Totality — when the Moon is entirely within Earth's shadow — will start around 1:30am Friday.

🌕 What to expect: "It's as if all the world's sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon," writes NASA.

🔭 How to see it: Find a dark spot, check the forecast and look up.

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