What kind of snake was this?

Was it like this? If so, it is an Eastern Garter Snake.

Without a picture it’s hard to tell. My first guess would be a garter snake.

@Pied_Pfeffer Jinx!

I think it is a garter snake.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Garter_Snake
http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/pages/cgarter.html
They are harmless and kind of pretty.

@Pied_Pfeffer No. It’s body was about the circumference of a dime. I probably should’ve mentioned that. And it was jet-black, not greenish-blackish-whateverish…

Wait a second…Could it have been a baby?

Looking at this list of snakes in Minnesota, I’d have to say you probably saw an Eastern garter snake. Scroll down the page a bit, and you can see that it is black with yellow stripes. It’s the only one that really fits your description. They aren’t “thick” snakes and are pretty much harmless. I say “pretty much” because they do have little teeth and can bite if you grab them, but they aren’t venomous and the bite they deliver won’t cause much more than a scratch. Yes, I know this from experience!