Residents take advantage of unusually high temperatures

By DJ Slater
Wausau Daily Herald

Sunday's balmy weather encouraged Wausau-area residents to take to the outdoors for what could be the last weekend until spring when the temperature reaches 60 degrees.

Foot traffic was heavy in parks and along sidewalks in the Wausau area, with the temperature topping out at 65 degrees, said Rich Mamrosh, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Green Bay.

But residents shouldn't keep their winter coats packed away -- Mamrosh said these high temperatures are not likely to stick around much longer.

"It's not likely to see another repeat performance of this weekend," he said. "We may have some more weekends in the 50s, but not any in the 60s again. I'm quite sure of that."

Wausau residents apparently got the message. Some spent their Sunday afternoons raking leaves into the street on the city's south side, while others took their children to the park to play and relax in the sun.

"I didn't expect to be playing tennis in November," said German Larrain, 48, of Wausau, who was sharing the tennis courts in Alexander Park along Lake View Drive in Wausau with his three daughters Sunday afternoon. "It's beautiful."

Terry Stevens, 33, of Wausau, spent his Sunday afternoon biking through Marathon Park with his son, Ragnar, 3, close behind in an attached carrier. He said his kids wanted to sit indoors all weekend and watch movies and play video games.

"I told them they can do that during the winter," Stevens said. "You've got to take advantage of this weather while you can."

Tricia Mirman of Wausau spent her afternoon setting up Christmas decorations for her son, Andrew, 22, who will be home Saturday on a weeklong leave from the U.S. Air Force.

"He won't be able to come home for the holidays," Mirman said. "I figured it would be cool to have the decorations up for him."

To Mirman's surprise, she didn't have to wear gloves or a heavy coat to string up lights. Instead, she wore jeans and a long-sleeve shirt, something she didn't expect when snow fell in Wausau on Oct. 12.

"I was like, 'Oh boy, here we go,'" she said, referring to how she felt during Wausau's first snowfall this year. "I'm definitely enjoying this weather big time."

Temperatures in the Wausau area are expected to hover in the 50-degree range until Thursday, when a high of 49 degrees is forecast, according to the National Weather Service.