Like local climate, local sports teams run extremely hot or cold

We're in a time of extremes in Twin Cities sports, and we could be for quite a while. Don't believe me? Let's take a look at a bunch of teams:

• Vikings. Extreme: high. They're the only undefeated team in the NFL, and after a bye weekend in which three other NFC contenders lost there are just two one-loss teams in their conference. The defense is elite. The special teams have made major impact plays, and the offense seems to be improving as the season goes along. Whether it's subjective power rankings or objective statistical analysis, the Vikings are considered one of the league's best teams and a clear Super Bowl contender this season.

• Wild. Extreme: fan mood swings from game to game (and even period to period). Raise your hand if you watched the Wild's season-opening loss at St. Louis and the disappointing first period of Saturday's home opener and drew a rapid conclusion that the team was in trouble. (Hand raised sheepishly.) There might not be a more volatile fan base in the Twin Cities right now — and after four goals over the final two periods Saturday everyone was happy again.

• Lynx. Extreme: high for an extreme amount of time. At some point in the future, it will be even easier to fully appreciate just what the Lynx have done over the past six seasons. When a dynasty is in full swing, it's a little harder to keep track. But let's try, albeit briefly: A 155-49 record in the regular season over the past six years, with five WNBA championship appearances and three titles in that span. That's success on a level and duration we're just not used to seeing around here.

• Twins. Extreme: low. They're the opposite of the Lynx, having imploded in the past six seasons — five of them with 90 losses or more, with the 83-win mirage of 2015 being wiped out by the 59-103 fiasco of 2016. What felt like an arc that was building toward better times is now an undefined timeline. The Twins could be contending by 2018 or bad for another five years, and neither would be surprising.

• Gophers football. Extreme: outcomes. The Gophers went from a disappointing 0-2 start in the Big Ten after two narrow losses to a 31-10 drubbing of Maryland with a backup quarterback making his first start. And their ability to either sustain that momentum and win, say, four more games the rest of the season … or fall back on bad habits and finish 6-6 (or worse) will have a large impact in determining the long-term status of head coach Tracy Claeys.

• Wolves. Extreme: expectations. This is a franchise that hasn't made the playoffs since 2004 and lost 53 games just a season ago. But outside and inside the organization, there is a sense that the postseason is within reach — and that even loftier goals are attainable going forward. That's territory this organization hasn't entered for a long time — if ever, really.