MANHATTAN — True to the groundhog's prediction of an early spring, Mother Nature brought a taste of warm weather on Thursday, with sunny skies and an expected high of 59 degrees.
Usually at this point in February, New Yorkers are bundling up to fend off temperatures that range from an average low of 30 to a high of 43 degrees.
But on Thursday, coats, scarves and gloves were shed as the sun shone from clear skies. The unseasonable temperatures coaxed early blooms out of the winter ground in Central Park, where lavender crocus flowers were spotted, according to a tweet by the Central Park Conservancy.
The spring teaser wasn't expected to last. The extended forecast calls for winds to pick up on Friday and temperatures to dip down to a low of 39. By Saturday, winter is predicted to gain the upper hand against the emerging spring, with more wind blowing temperatures down to a chilly 30 degrees.
