‘The Perfect Day:' Vermonters Savor Record High Temperatures

Vermont saw records smashed this week for high temperatures in communities including Montpelier, St. Johnsbury, and Burlington — which broke a heat record for the date for a second consecutive day Friday.

As temperatures flirted with 90, some found refreshment in a still-chilly Lake Champlain.

"It is like the perfect day," beamed Mimi Eide of Burlington, who was spending part of the day at North Beach. “It’s warm, it’s not too warm, there’s no wind — I mean, look at this! It’s a beautiful day!”

Public safety officials in Vermont echoed a warning NECN & NBC10 Boston reported on this week from Maine about how water can still be dangerously cold this time of year — even if the air temperature is unseasonably warm.

In Shelburne, golfers were spending the sunny, blue-sky day fine-tuning their early-season swings at the Kwini Club — home to a new system with automatic tee-feeders and cameras to track players’ ball flight.

"This whole week’s been unbelievable," said golf pro Steve Gonsalves of the Kwini Club, a training facility. "Feels like August!"

With Vermont’s distance from the ocean making temperatures here 20 or more degrees warmer Friday than coastal communities like Boston, restaurants including the Church Street Tavern in Burlington were making the most of a boost to outdoor dining.

"Usually, we aren’t able to get in as many patio days right off the bat in May, and we’ve been really lucky with the weather so far," noted Mychaella Devaney of the Church Street Tavern. "I think people are just ready to be outside and enjoying themselves — relaxing, soaking up the sun after a pretty long winter!"

Some of those lucky enough to have a day off to enjoy the record-breaking warmth said they hope this preview of summer is repeated many times to come in the months ahead.

"Hopefully, every day is like this," Eide beamed.

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