Ashley Gries left Jessup's La Festa Dei Ceri after just 20 minutes on Saturday because she was too cold. A day later, the 23-year-old Scranton resident was comfortably riding her bicycle with two friends at Nay Aug Park.
The area's unseasonably chilly weather is ending just in time for Memorial Day.
Numerous Lackawanna County residents who got out to enjoy Sunday's relatively warm temperatures said they were planning the usual family get-togethers and cookouts today.
"It's nice after the 40 (degree) weather we've been having," 27-year-old Scranton resident Brooke Georgetti said during a walk in the 63-degree temperatures at the Scranton park on Sunday.
Accuweather senior meteorologist Michael Pigott forecast a high of 72 degrees today.
"By the end of the week, we'll have temperatures near 90," Mr. Pigott said.
Several people said Sunday's weather was perfect for physical activity, whether biking, jogging, kayaking or golfing.
"It's a nice day to run," said Alex Rivera, 26, of Scranton, who just resumed exercising after a winter and spring layoff last week. "It's not too cold. It's not too hot."
In addition to the bikers and joggers at Nay Aug Park, numerous people were walking dogs or pushing toddlers in strollers, at Lackawanna State Park, kayaking and fishing were underway, as the unofficial start of summer kicked off.
Ethan Edwards and Jackson Giordano, both 8-year-old Forty Fort residents, were using leaves to attract fish at the small pond in front of Nay Aug's Everhart Museum.
In Taylor, Pine Hills Country Club had its biggest turnout of any Sunday on which there was no golf tournament so far this year. Pro shop attendant Joe Loyek estimated 150 to 200 people hit the course.
Sunday may have provided ideal weather for running, biking, boating and golf, but a quiet day at the newly reopened Montage Mountain water park indicated area residents found the temperatures a bit too low for swimming.
That didn't stop Old Forge residents Rachel and John Woodsfrom swinging by with their children to confirm the park has reopened. Mr. Woods was thinking of taking the children to the water park within the next couple of weeks and wanted to check it out.
Back at Nay Aug, Jackson was not deterred by the weather, saying he was excited a community pool was due to open today. And Ethan's mother Lisa was planning a trip to Hershey Park or Hickory Run State Park for today.
Contact the writer: kwind@timesshamrock.com, @kwindTT on Twitter