Central Va. enjoys winter respite

The Armas family was on its way to church yesterday morning when they decided to spend the afternoon outside enjoying the unseasonably warm weather.

The Chesterfield County family of five rode their bikes to Rockwood Park off Courthouse Road for some afternoon fun in the sun.

The park was alive with the playful squeals of children, playing under the watchful eyes of adults.

"Days like this, I don't want to be in the house," said Robin Armas after pushing her daughter, Olivia, on a swing. "It's crowded, but it's nice to see people outside spending time with their families."

A few feet away, Robin's husband, Phil, was leading a group of children, including their two sons, Philip III and Matthew, in a game of football.

Sweaters and snow boots were replaced by tank-tops and flip-flops as central Virginia experienced a high of 72 degrees, falling just short of the record 75 degrees set in 1925.

Although the record wasn't set, temperatures were above normal, 48 degrees, for this time of year, according to the National Weather Service in Wakefield. Temperatures dropped into the 30s last night but should reach the upper 50s today.

The basketball courts at Rockwood were lined with people playing or waiting to play pickup games. A few hundred yards away, the baseball fields were alive with the sounds of spring and summer -- the clink of aluminum bats connecting with baseballs.

Aaron and Rebecca Perry of West Point in King William County made the 1½-hour drive to bring their teenage sons, Joshua and Seth, to practice.

"We were never expecting it," Aaron Perry said of the warm weather. "We thought we had to go to this tournament without any outside practices. So, this is kind of a blessing."

At Maymont's Hampton Street entrance, families enjoyed picnic lunches on blankets in the grass. Some flew kites while others tossed footballs.

"I felt like we've been cooped up for so long, it seemed like the perfect thing to do -- to come out and have a picnic," said Richmonder Carrie Weber, who was at the park with her husband, Matt, and young daughters Allison and Jessica.

But even as they enjoyed the warmth, their minds didn't wander far from winter.

"I would like to get one really good snow before the winter is over," Carrie Weber said.

Contact Jeremy Slayton at (804) 649-6861 or .