Region enjoying a warm moment

It was a day for playgrounds, for jogging in shorts and T-shirts, and even, for a few brave souls, a day for wading in the ocean, as temperatures soared into the 60s yesterday.

Though the calendar showed December looming, the thoughts of many across the region turned to picnics and beach walks, more than post-Thanksgiving Christmas shopping.

At Sullivan's, the landmark hot dog stand on Castle Island, it was a momentous day for manager Jim Barron - yesterday was his last day serving the public after 45 years on the job there. But he hardly had time to contemplate the milestone, as he faced down a July-sized crowd in a line that extended outside the propped double doors.

"I don't remember a November this nice in 45 years," Barron, 59, said during a cigarette break at a picnic table out back, as jets rumbled and gulls screamed overhead.

Boston hit a high of 63 at 2:30 p.m. yesterday, short of the record of 67 recorded in 1946, but well above normal late-November highs in the 40s, according to the National Weather Service. Warmer than normal weather was expected to continue through Tuesday, with temperatures due to descend to a more seasonable chilliness Wednesday, just in time for December's arrival the following day.

"Enjoy the moment and bask in the sunshine," advised National Weather Service meteorologist Alan Dunham.

Across the region, people did just that, tossing Frisbees to dogs, flocking to hiking trails, and dragging bicycles outside. Holiday-minded homeowners seized the opportunity to hoist decorations to the rooftops without battling biting winds.

The burst of balmy weather arrived almost a month after a freak October storm dumped an early load of snow on central and western Massachusetts. Some state parks in the region, including Robinson State Park in Agawam, Chicopee State Park, and the Nashua River Trail, remain closed as a result of the extensive tree damage caused by the storm. Trails in Mount Holyoke State Range Park are also closed until further notice.

The state Department of Conservation and Recreation advised hikers to call ahead to other parks to check conditions, which could include hazards caused by branches hanging over trails and roads.

At Blue Hills Reservation in Milton yesterday, hikers in T-shirts and shorts reveled in the warmth.

"We're just out here burning off that turkey dinner," said Matt Caliri, 43, of Braintree, standing near a trail. "We've never seen this many people and dogs out here."

In Lynn, residents Richard Leelman and Fred Currier watched their German shepherds, Max and Hercules, romp on the grass at Red Rock Park with the ocean glittering behind them.

"You can't plan for this," said Leelman. "You've got to seize the day. It's carpe diem to the nth degree."

Two 8-year-olds from Arlington felt the same way. At the end of an outing to Castle Island in South Boston, they kicked off their shoes, rolled up their pants, and waded knee-deep into the ocean, describing the freak springtime weather as "wonderful."

"And kind of weird," their 5-year-old companion added thoughtfully from the beach, digging her bare toes into the damp sand.

Equally pleased was 71-year-old Ron Bertocchi, who kicked back in the front seat of his pale green Lincoln Town Car to lounge and catch some rays by the water in South Boston.

"We all cherish this weather," he said. "We don't get it often in New England, so we grab it."

In Worcester, the mercury hit 59 yesterday, not enough to topple the century-old record of 64 degrees, recorded in 1895, according to the National Weather Service.