For State College families with children in school, summer unofficially began a few weeks ago when classes ended for the year.
But it wasn’t until Sunday, June 21, that summer officially began. The first day of the season came just one day after the summer solstice, the longest day of the year.
That means plenty of sunshine and warm weather is here, and there was a liveliness in State College on Sunday as people celebrated the beginning of a popular season and Father’s Day all at once.
There was a noticeable excitement at the Welch Community Swimming Pool on Westerly Parkway, which was lucky enough to have mostly sunlight through its closing at 8 p.m. and only a few downpours of rain throughout the day.
“I’m just out here with the kids for a few hours,” says Mark Renson, a father who spent his day swimming and lounging at the pool. “They love it here and if they’re happy for the holiday, so am I. The kids always look forward to coming here. It’s a really nice pool and they can keep themselves occupied here for hours.”
State College enjoyed a high of 80 degrees on Sunday and a low of 68. It was a humid but warmer-than-average first day of summer in town.
As evening rolled around, it was mid-70s and partly cloudy, the perfect weather to enjoy some baseball, the preeminent American summer sport. The first weekend of State College Spikes baseball came to an end Sunday night as the team lost an 8-1 game to Williamsport. Despite the loss, it was a perfect night for a baseball game.
“I love a nice summer day spent at the ballpark,” says Brandon Rittenhouse, who was in the stands. “I got a picture with Ike the Spike. It was beautiful out. I’d rather see a win, but you take what you get.”
State College is in for a great first week of summer when it comes to weather. The latest AccuWeather forecast calls for a high of 84 degrees on Monday and Tuesday, cooling down slightly as the week goes on. As is par for the course during the summer, a heavy thunderstorm will likely come through Tuesday afternoon, with another expected to follow on Thursday.
Summer is officially here to stay for the next three months, and that was evident throughout a bustling State College on Sunday.
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