Kids riding bikes, people taking walks along the lakefront, and golfers spraying shots at local golf courses are pretty typical for the spring and summer for the area.
But not in March.
With six straight days of 70-plus degree temperatures and more expected this week, this March is expected to be the warmest one on record in history.
According to the National Weather Service, the warmest average temperature on record in the area for the month of March is 48.1 degrees in 1946.
The current average temperature this month is 48.6 degrees with at least another week of unseasonably warm weather ahead.
The most 70-plus degree days in March came in 1910 when there were 10. That record should be eclipsed by the end of this week.
Mike Sabones, meteorologist in charge for the National Weather Service Northern Indiana office, said the record temps are great but there is also some room for concern.
“Our biggest concern with the weather being this warm, this early, is primarily from an agricultural interest,” said Sabones.
Sabones noted that he and his staff have gone through all records available and this area has never gone through April without a significant frost.
That means that if plants begin to bloom this early they could die once temperatures eventually level out.
“I would be careful,” said Sabones. “You have to know how cold-hardy your crops are.”
Sabones said that on average, temperatures have been 30 to 35 degrees warmer than usual.
“If this were July we’d be looking at high temperatures around 115 degrees,” said Sabones.
Sabones said a lot of the weather is leftover from a La Nina pattern that has been around most of the winter.
Ed Clayton, of Clayton Garden Center and Greenhouse in North Webster, said he did twice as much business this weekend as he would have at this time last year.
Clayton did caution people to use a lot of discretion when wanting to plant certain things.
“It’s way too early for things like tomatoes or peppers,” said Clayton. “You’ve got to be careful with tender annuals.”
Clayton said he did feel confident about planting cold crops like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage.
“We’re growing stuff twice as fast in the greenhouse as normal because of all the heat and extra sunlight,” he said.
Clayton said the early good weather has been a boon to the home and garden industry.
“We really needed this,” said Clayton. “And I think in general good weather is always good for the economy.”
The weather has helped local business like Raccoon Run Golf Course.
Owner Denny Hepler said he’s opened the course on the same day the past few years.
Typically when he opens the course in Mid-March there are a few die-hards braving typically chilly conditions.
This year is a far different story.
“The past few years we’ve opened and it’s been the same here,” said Hepler. “Maybe one day it’s good. To start out this year we’ve been busy and running around since opening day.”
Hepler compares his business this past week to the sort of buzz he’ll see in the middle of summer.
The unseasonable weather did put him behind a couple of days in terms of getting the course ready but that hasn't stopped people from getting out on the course.
Hepler said if business is like this in March, he can only imagine how busy it will be in May.
