SUSSEX COUNTY, Del.- It may be Spring, but Summer-like temperatures have already brought Summer-like crowds to Delaware's beaches.
Nicola's Pizza Vice President Nick Caggiano says the warm weather impacted their off-season staffing.
"We actually doubled," he says. "We usually only have one waitress on a Friday today and we actually added a second waitress and a counter guy because we sort of suspected this. When we saw the 60 degrees, we knew they were going to flood to the beach."
Rehoboth Avenue was full of cars coming in on Friday. It was a welcome sight to Atlantic Cycles owner Frank Cole.
"We are still a seasonal business and you know the winters can be kind of tough financially," he says. "So any time you get that kind of first burst of nice weather, it makes you feel good because you know the fat times as far as the money goes, it's just around the corner."
Many people took to the beach, boardwalk, and bike trails as the sun came out. Cyclists Rick O'Connell and Steve Mahaney from Lewes said the nice weather made their ride to Lewes Beach all the better.
"We are loving it!" O'Connell tells WRDE. Adds Mahaney, "It's been a long time coming. It's baseball season, we need it."
Caggiano says a warm spring helps extend Rehoboth's shoulder season, and lifts everyone's spirits.
"We always get a good fall because the ocean is still warm, but in the spring it's really good when the ocean warms up and you get these sunny days," he says. "People feel spring-ish. It's really true; we're stuck in our house all winter and we just love when this happens. When we hear the birds chirp, we also chirp."
Temperatures are forecast to reach the 70s by Saturday.
