Yes, Mike Goss has played golf in January before. For the serious Washington golfer, he explained, the dead of winter is a fine time to hit the links.
But in shorts?
Some residents take advantage of the unseasonably mild weather by walking along the C&O Canal near Fletcher's Boat House. It was the warmest New Year's Day on record, with the temperature reaching 69 at Reagan National Airport.
(Gerald Martineau -- The Washington Post)
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"Shorts might be a bit optimistic," the Alexandria resident acknowledged.
Not yesterday. With temperatures soaring toward 70, the region shook off its winter slumber. Bicyclists looped around the area. Parents rolled out strollers. And hundreds of golfers, including Goss, donned summer clothes and grabbed their clubs.
For the area, it was the warmest New Year's Day on record. Temperatures reached 68 and 67 degrees, respectively, at the Dulles and Baltimore-Washington international airports, shattering marks set in 1985 for the date, according to the National Weather Service. At Reagan National Airport, the temperature reached 69 degrees, surpassing the high set in 1966, the weather service said.
Meteorologists credited a warm air mass from the southeast with turning normally frosty New Year's weather into a tableau of California dreamin'. Although temperatures were expected to dip today, they should rise into the upper 50s Monday and stay there until midweek, forecasters said.
The balmy weather produced unlikely New Year's scenes. Cafes and restaurants set out tables for alfresco lunches. Boaters hoisted their sails and glided on the Potomac. In Alexandria, people who days ago were sipping hot chocolate lined up instead for ice cream cones.
For some who view cold weather as potentially fatal, the springlike temperatures were a blessing.
"God sends us 60-degree weather in January!" exulted Jake Ashford, 42, a homeless man peddling newspapers near Logan Circle in Northwest Washington. Usually, he said, he tries to ward off the frigid winter air by huddling in blankets near a heat-exhaust fan behind a drugstore.
Most area residents didn't need the warmth so urgently, yet delighted in the unseasonable conditions.
Around the Tidal Basin, joggers trotted in shorts, and parents wheeled strollers. Ellen Cabrey, 27, a teacher visiting from Syracuse, rambled happily along a path, wearing a thin sweater.
At the Potowmack's Landing near Alexandria, the parking lot was full of boaters' cars and trucks. One boat after another was leaving the marina as their owners hoisted the sails and headed onto the river.
Stan Larmee, 43, a policy analyst from Arlington, ran back to his car trunk to grab a life jacket. He planned to set off in a one-man Laser and catch up with the rest of the sailing competitors for the annual Hangover Ball race on New Year's Day.
Larmee laughed as he pointed at his chino shorts and sweat shirt, explaining that in past years, he usually has worn a dry suit to protect himself from the freezing waters of the Potomac. Such suits are typically required for the race.
"This day was just irresistible," he said. "And we didn't have to chip any ice to get our boats out to the race."
In the District, throngs turned out to play at the East Potomac Park Golf Course.
"Everyone gets new clubs for Christmas," said teaching pro R.J. McCord, 53, of Arlington. But even she was taken aback by how many people had arrived by 11:30 a.m.
"The parking lot is packed," she said.
Frank Salatto III, 45, and his son, Frank K. Salatto IV, 16, had talked on New Year's Eve about the temptingly mild temperatures and whether they should try to golf the next day. Yesterday morning, they stepped into the beaming sunshine outside their Gaithersburg home and quickly headed off for 18 holes at Laytonsville Golf Course.
"It was such a beautiful day, such a shock," the elder Salatto said. "I haven't played in three or four months, so this was just great."
There was only one catch.
"The day won out," the younger Salatto said. "The score wasn't nearly as nice as the day."
Like the Salattos, some golfers didn't decide to play until they woke up to the sunshine. Not Goss, though. He planned his outing Tuesday, he said, about the time any serious golfer would have spotted the approaching warm front.
"We watch the weather more than NASA," said the 50-year-old marketing executive, in khaki shorts and a windbreaker, before zipping off in his golf cart.
A few hundred yards away from the course, Geoff Silberman, 41, of Clarkesville, Md., watched cyclist after cyclist zip around Hains Point. The engineer had taken a break from riding to get his water bottle from his car.
"It's so hot you actually have to drink a lot," he said.
Silberman, a devoted cyclist, noted that a few hardy athletes generally turned out to ride each New Year's Day. And one cycling club often marks the day with a "century" ride at Hains Point -- 33 laps around a 3.3-mile loop. It is known as the East Coast's Most Boring Century Ride.
This year, cyclists were everywhere, their bikes whizzing past.
"Today really brought them out," Silberman said, throwing his arms open in jubilation. "It's summertime!"
The weather was so warm that thoughts of such holiday staples as hot chocolate or cider vanished. In Alexandria, ice cream shop owner Charlie Lindsey decided to open his store, the Scoop Grill on King Street. Usually, he stays closed on New Year's Day.
"I just didn't schedule anybody to work," he said while juggling requests for pistachio, butter pecan and mango sherbet. "We hardly have any business this time of year."
Researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report.
