A sunny, blue sky illuminates the Art Museum's new 39,000 square foot Atrium. Although the temperature is 19 degrees outside, it's a balmy 70 degrees under the arching glass ceiling. Parents bring kids here to run around when school's closed on snow days, and the museum's Aaron Petersal says the Atrium is also a popular spot for seniors looking to avoid the ice and get in a little physical therapy
AARON PETERSAL: You can see that they have their little pedometers on and they're making sure that they're getting their steps in.
Petersal says he's seen an uptick in foot traffic as the temperature has dropped. Sitting nearby in a sidewalk cafe next to a grove of bamboo trees, out-of-state visitor Ross Nelson says it's good to catch a break from the cold --- though he's seen worse:
ROSS NELSON: To tell you the truth, I'm from Minnesota, and I'm more used to it than a lot of people.
Sarah Johnson works at nearby Case Western Reserve University and says it's quite a contrast to come here for lunch, after suffering through a frozen car door, earlier in the morning.
SARAH JOHNSON: So, it's a little bit more extreme than the usual Cleveland winter, but it's almost over. Right?
If only. The forecast is for temperatures to drop back into the single digits, Thursday.
