The great thing is while it gets VERY cold, there is a tunnel system where you can get almost anywhere on campus underground and not have to deal with the weather. My kid is happy at -40, so cold wasn’t an issue (he was adamantly against going anywhere warm). It’s all about how you dress.
UMN is spread over 3 campuses, so you will definitely be navigating the bus system, but that didn’t bother S23 (who ultimately chose another school when he decided not to be an engineer). There is anything you could ever want to do in and around the Twin Cities. I was a little uncomfortable with the crime rate in DinkyTown. There is both an Honors and an Engineering LLC. The Engineering one is in a much nicer dorm than Honors.