(ABC 6 News) – Wednesday saw the area’s first snowfall of the season, and people in Rochester are feeling the winter vibes.

ABC 6 spoke with residents and visitors to the Med City around downtown and the consensus seems to be pretty excited.

After last year’s mild winter, at least some locals are hoping for a more typical, snowy season.

“I love it,” said Rochester student, Amanda Prigge. “I feel festive about snow, it makes me get into the holiday spirit.”

“I think I’m more excited than most people just from where I am we don’t get a lot of snow,” said Lillian Weeks, another student in Rochester who comes from Portland, Oregon.

Even those just visiting Rochester for Mayo Clinic are feeling the festiveness that comes with the snow.

“I love snow, so this is great,” said Richard Sarles, a New Jersey native. “We probably won’t get snow for another month or two, so it’s a happy time for me.”

Last year, warmer than normal weather and significant drought kept the snow at bay for a while.

However, the heavy rain from this spring and summer helped ease Minnesota’s drought conditions, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is expecting a wetter than average season across the Great Lakes region.

For some Minnesotans, a white Christmas is all they’re wishing for.

“I want it to look like Alaska,” said Prigge. “Last year, it was just muddy and brown on Christmas and when I wake up I like the snow.”

Of course, the first snow isn’t just a time to get excited about the season.

It’s also a time to keep in mind safe driving practices, as the first few flurries can be some of the most dangerous for drivers.

“Often times it will snow and then it ends up warming up throughout the day,” said Brynna Knapp, a public affairs rep for Minnesota AAA. “That light snowfall will melt and then you’ll see temperatures drop into the evening again, and so that snow melt will actually turn into ice.”