With last weekend’s temperatures soaring into the 70s, and this weekend expected to be just as warm, some Lake County businesses have declared an unofficial end to winter.
The Egg Harbor Cafe, 125 Lake St., Libertyville, opened its outdoor patio Friday.
“It was more popular Sunday,” manager Shennelle Feather said.
Sunday’s temperatures reached 75 degrees at Waukegan Airport, according to the National Weather Service.
Because the patio is covered and shaded, the Egg Harbor Cafe is keeping heaters available in case temperatures drop in the days ahead.
“This weekend, our patio was packed,” said Mike Majestic, owner of Luke’s of Mundelein, 551 N. Lake St., Mundelein.
Luke’s, which offers Chicago-style sandwiches, took advantage of February’s warm weather and had seating on the patio already available, he said.
Meteorologist Kevin Donofrio of the National Weather Service said that although an April snow is not unheard of, there is nothing in the forecast through April 22 that would indicate temperatures will drop that sharply.
Average lows for this time of year are the upper 30s, and snow would require temperatures to drop eight to 10 degrees below that to occur, he said. If snow did occur, it would “likely not accumulate,” he said.
Average highs this time of year are in the mid to upper 50s, he said.
Nail salons and spas typically see an increase in business as the weather warms up.
“We see a lot more pedicures, but the most popular thing is that people start to wax,” said Shirley Patterson, owner of Ooh La La Boutique and Spa, 726 Milwaukee Ave., Gurnee. “Wax is very important.”
Clothing shops have seen a demand for warm-weather items, not necessarily because people are dressing for Lake County, but because they are planning spring vacations in hot spots such as Mexico, Arizona and Florida, according to Doreen Batchelor, owner of House of Betty Jane, 499 Ela Road, Lake Zurich.
“We’ve definitely clearanced, and there isn’t a winter thing left in the store,” Batchelor said.
Still, other places, like the Polish-American restaurant Reflections on Deep Lake, 38564 N. Edgewood, Lake Villa, have not opened their patios. The restaurant is situated on the lake. Although the weather might be warmer, people aren’t ready to have dinner or a cocktail on the patio due to the wind, owner Anna Krupka said. The wind has been so strong in recent days that it has caused white caps on the lake, she said.
Organizers expect the weather to draw people to the ArtWauk in downtown Waukegan Saturday, according to Arthur Cobb, executive director of Waukegan Main Street.
The free event is a gallery hop from 5 to 9 p.m. the third Saturday of every month, featuring art galleries, theaters, restaurants, bars and other businesses. Because the weather has been so mild, the event has drawn 250 to 300 people each month this year, he said.
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The ArtWauk has also featured a free trolley that loops the downtown area every half-hour so people can hop on and hop of at any stop.
Similarly, festival organizers at The Harbor’s Edge, 175 N. Harbor Place, Waukegan, expect warmer whether will bring larger crowds to their monthly festivals.
The three-day Cinco de Mayo Latin music festival will kick off a summer lineup of two- and three-day festivals at the harbor, according to David Shaw, general manager at Harbor’s Edge, an outdoor venue operated by the nearby Waukegan Yacht Club.
This year’s Cinco de Mayo event has expanded to three days, with two big bands coming from Mexico, said Samantha Reyes, a marketing associate with the Greater Waukegan Development Coalition. Fito Olivares performs Cumbia from northern Mexico, and Los Sementales de Nuevo León features Mexican country music, she said.
Erin Gallagher is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.