Cyclists were out all over town Saturday as temperatures rose above 70 degrees. Arnold Burns and Mary Rocini parked near the boat ramp and headed into Kanawha City for a 12 to 15 mile ride.
Standing on a boat dock near the University of Charleston, Brian Bolyard threw a tennis ball into the Kanawha River. "Ready? Go, go, go!" he called, and Gandy, one of his two dogs, sprung into action. Within seconds, the 2-year-old yellow Labrador retriever was yards into the water, paddling toward the prize.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Standing on a boat dock near the University of Charleston, Brian Bolyard threw a tennis ball into the Kanawha River.
"Ready? Go, go, go!" he called, and Gandy, one of his two dogs, sprung into action.
Within seconds, the 2-year-old yellow Labrador retriever was yards into the water, paddling toward the prize.
On an unusually warm January day, Bolyard, of Charleston, took the opportunity to rid his furry friends of their cabin fever. There are not too many winter days when he gets to take Gandy and Maggie to the river.
"Usually the water's too cold and they won't get in," Bolyard said.
With a forecasted high temperature in the low 70s, Bolyard and his dogs weren't the only ones outside enjoying the weather. Boaters took to the Kanawha River while runners, walkers and bicyclists took to the walkways along the Kanawha Boulevard.
Friends Rob Thaw and Chuck Hamilton spent a couple of hours standup paddle boarding. Even with the blanket of cooler air that had settled on the river, Thaw dressed for the warmer weather, expecting a workout, he said.
Near record-level temperatures were expected for much of the region, according to the National Weather Service. By around 3:15 p.m. Saturday, Bluefield, Beckley and Morgantown had set new record high temperatures of 71, 69, and 67 respectively, meteorologist Nick Webb said.
In Charleston, temperatures were close but did not set new records, Webb said.
"(The record is) 74 in Charleston and we're currently 71," Webb said. "I think we may stop just short of that."
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Standing on a boat dock near the University of Charleston, Brian Bolyard threw a tennis ball into the Kanawha River.
"Ready? Go, go, go!" he called, and Gandy, one of his two dogs, sprung into action.
Within seconds, the 2-year-old yellow Labrador retriever was yards into the water, paddling toward the prize.
On an unusually warm January day, Bolyard, of Charleston, took the opportunity to rid his furry friends of their cabin fever. There are not too many winter days when he gets to take Gandy and Maggie to the river.
"Usually the water's too cold and they won't get in," Bolyard said.
With a forecasted high temperature in the low 70s, Bolyard and his dogs weren't the only ones outside enjoying the weather. Boaters took to the Kanawha River while runners, walkers and bicyclists took to the walkways along the Kanawha Boulevard.
Friends Rob Thaw and Chuck Hamilton spent a couple of hours standup paddle boarding. Even with the blanket of cooler air that had settled on the river, Thaw dressed for the warmer weather, expecting a workout, he said.
Near record-level temperatures were expected for much of the region, according to the National Weather Service. By around 3:15 p.m. Saturday, Bluefield, Beckley and Morgantown had set new record high temperatures of 71, 69, and 67 respectively, meteorologist Nick Webb said.
In Charleston, temperatures were close but did not set new records, Webb said.
"(The record is) 74 in Charleston and we're currently 71," Webb said. "I think we may stop just short of that."
A strong cold front to the west pumping warm air and a down sloping, southeasterly wind is responsible for the higher temperatures, he said.
Eddie Humphreys and Keith Tyler, of Charleston, started fishing from their boat on the Kanawha River around 8 a.m., they said. The two tournament fishermen expected to stay until dark. The pair usually doesn't fish until March.
"There's not many days like this where you can get out here and enjoy it," Tyler said, adding that he's usually stuck inside. "I saw where the weather was going to be 70 and said, 'Let's go Saturday.'"
Golfers, too, couldn't resist the pull of warm weather. They were out in droves at the Little Creek Golf Course in South Charleston.
"(We go golfing) whenever the weather permits," John Hudnall, of Cedar Grove, said between holes.
Hudnall was with his friend, David Yeager and two others. Both Hudnall and Yeager are retired and use their extra time to hit the course, Hudnall said.
"We golf every chance we get," he said.
Charleston's warm weather will continue again Sunday, but is not likely to break the record of 79 degrees, Webb said.
"After (Sunday), reality sets in," Webb said. "Most of next week is going to be seasonably cold and then after that we may get some of that colder air way down the road - that's a long ways off."
Reach Lori Kersey at lori.ker...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1240.
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