Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - "St. Patrick's Day, NCAA Tournament, you can't get better than that."
Although winter is technically not over yet in Western New York, Thursday brought about one of the nicest days in Buffalo to date, as temperatures peaked at 67 degrees Fahrenheit in the downtown region.
"I am loving the weather," said Pete from Buffalo on Thursday. "It is beautiful, it's sunny, I have shorts on. I'll probably have snow pants on in about two days."
Even though there's the potential for more winter weather this weekend, it certainly didn't damper the spirits of people out-and-about in the city on Thursday to celebrate the St. Patrick's Day holiday, but also the return of men's college basketball with First Round action of the NCAA Tournament being played out at KeyBank Center.
"It's beautiful. Couldn't ask for anything better," said Bubba from Grand Island. "March Madness, perfect weather, [Buffalo] Bills making some moves. Looking forward to it."
Thursday in Buffalo was just a taste of what is hopefully coming back to the region for some time with spring officially days away. While temperature will dip in the coming days back into the 40-degree range, this small dose of beautiful weather has some people already deeming winter being in the rear-view mirror.
"We're ready," said Joe from Clarence. "The shovels are away, so yeah, it's springtime in Buffalo."
"Oh my goodness, I hope so," stated Abby from Buffalo. "I want winter so gone. I'm ready for this beautiful warm summer weather."
While some were optimistic of winter's end in Western New York, there were others who were reluctant to put the shovels and winter jackets away just yet.
On top of Thursday's significance with it being St. Patrick's Day, it also marked the first time the NCAA Tournament for men's college basketball returned to the City of Buffalo since 2017. A total of eight teams made their way to the "City of Good Neighbors" to kick off their hopes of running the table and being crowned as the champions at the collegiate level.
The return of the tournament to Buffalo was significant for many, as it gave Buffalo the chance to be back in the spotlight, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This is great for the Buffalo community," said Pete. "Having all these outsiders come in and spending the money and seeing what Buffalo has to offer, besides blizzards and [the Bills], which we all love!"
"It's really exciting, especially down here, there's so much to do and everything," added Brooke from Buffalo. "You watch the large crowds get off the subway and walk to the arena, it's super exciting. It's nice that we get to be a part of it, and there's so many local restaurants and everything, so I'm excited."
On top of the national attention, some general basketball fans are just excited to get a chance to watch some of the most spirited sports action a fan could ever take in live.
"Well it's amazing, because we don't really have much great basketball here. So to be able to go to something like this truly is great," said Aidan from Buffalo.
One other bit of significance relating to Thursday in Buffalo was the tournament brought about the biggest event and gatherings the city has seen since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic two full years ago. It was a chance for people to re-explore the city since the pandemic, while also gather and assemble in large groups to celebrate the tournament, St. Patrick's Day, and even the beautiful weather.
"I think everyone hopes for normalcy," said Jessica from Rochester. "I think it's a little bit of wishful thinking, like, we have little kids, there's still a lot going on in the schools. But here's hoping we're moving in the right direction."
"For me, the biggest thing is just seeing everybody's smiles, seeing how excited everybody is," Abby added. "Yesterday, a few of my co-workers and I went to go watch the practice for the tournament, and all the energy in the crowd was so beautiful, so wonderful."
You can hear more local reaction from the local community below: