Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - It's been a long time coming, but the weather in Western New York has finally started to warm up and dry out, bringing residents across the region out of their homes to enjoy some sunshine at places like the Buffalo Outer Harbor.
The National Weather Service tells WBEN the warming trend across Western New York will continue throughout the week, with temperatures reaching into the 70s on Monday, and some 80-degree weather scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Even despite some rain in the forecast later in the week, temperatures are not expected to dip much over the next several days.
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"I got tired of sitting in the house. I mean, going stir crazy in the house was too much. So it's nice to get out and get a little sun and enjoy the nice weather," said Buffalo resident Paul in an interview with WBEN on Monday.
"Really nice. I'm actually waiting to get my boat in the water across the road there, I've got a 33-foot boat I want to get sailing and have it out there. Gotta get out and sail," said Tonawanda resident Rob Daley with WBEN.
Because the weather has been so cold, wet and dreary over the last several weeks, this will allow for a number of residents to be able to get out and not only enjoy the outdoors, but also catch up on some chores at home.
"It's been real frustrating, because I can't clean my backyard. It's got all the leaves and stuff in it," said Whitney from Buffalo.
"The backyard is still a swamp. I don't think it'll dry out until August, the rider wants to sink," added Paul. "So gardening, camping, we put a lot of stuff off. That kind of dampered it a little bit."
One concern with the weather this week will, once again, be with hazy conditions due to smoke sweeping into the region as the result of the ongoing wildfires in Midwestern Canada.
"The bigger picture is that it's probably due to global warming. We didn't have these years ago. Hardly ever, do I ever remember - I'm 70 years old - having smoke from wildfires in Canada," said one South Buffalo resident with WBEN.
"A little concerned. I do get asthma. I noticed a couple years ago, it came in, and I know I was [had] a little trouble breathing and that," added Daley. "I did notice this morning that sky was pretty hazy. And when I go sailing, the last couple summers, the West sky, with smoke coming out of Canada there, we had some great sunsets, but it was really hazy for a good three months."
While there are a number of different outdoor locations for Western New Yorkers to enjoy with the warmer weather finally here, many got the chance on Monday to enjoy the Buffalo Outer Harbor with Bell Slip and its surrounding trails opening up for the public.
"It's real peaceful. It's better than Delaware Park, we'll just said that," Whitney said with WBEN.
"It's just nice that they're utilizing the waterfront, because there's other cities in New York that doesn't do this, like Rochester, and that. They don't do anything with the waterfront there, so it's nice that they're doing it down here," added Paul.
As someone that has spent plenty of time along Fuhrmann Boulevard over the years, Daley is excited about the work that continues along the Buffalo Outer Harbor.
"We came down in 1980 and there was nothing down here. And we developed that, [it became] First Buffalo [River Marina], and we turned that whole inner harbor, that little channel, into our little safe harbor," he said. "And I guess they're thinking of putting some slips out here, because if what they plan for the [Erie Basin] Marina, they're gonna lose another 20-30 slips. And there's a lot of boats that want to go in the water."
One area of the Buffalo Outer Harbor that has yet to re-open to the public is Wilkeson Pointe, which has been the focus of an $11 million project to transform that part of the Outer Harbor into another attraction for the public. Work there is nearing completion, and was expected to open sometime this spring.
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"We were riding our bikes last year when they were working on it, and the construction guy was kind of telling us what their plans were for down in there. He says it's going to be nice. I'm surprised it's not done yet, but hopefully soon," Paul said.
Residents are optimistic about what that part of the Outer Harbor will bring for the community going forward.
"It's going to be a little restaurant, I believe, and snack bar, etc. It's great. There was a little cargo container down there that was a beer shack, but it was temporary. This thing's going to be a permanent structure, it's great," said the South Buffalo resident.