After a bitter cold winter that brought snow, sleet and ice to the area on multiple occasions, local families welcomed the near 80 degree temperatures that started blooming earlier this week.

"We were really excited to get out today and let the kids go out and play," said Regenia Leuenberger, who moved to Dawsonville from Tallahassee over the winter.

"It's already been hot there, so we've been waiting for this for a while. They've been outside for over a month now."

Afternoon highs on Monday and Tuesday reached between 75-80 degrees, though cooler weather is expected later this week.

With the official start of spring on Friday, Casey Martin said she is ready for the sunshine.

"I'm so ready for it. I hate the cold," she said as her toddler son Carter Key ran passed her at Rock Creek Park's playground.

"It's so nice to be able to bring the kids out here."

Joey Williams said while the winter weather was nice for a while, he too is ready for spring.

"We had hoped to get a little bit more snow instead of all the ice we got, because the kids really didn't get to get out and play in the snow," he said. "When I found out it was going to be warm today, I decided to get them out and bring them here."