Patio season has officially started in Toronto weeks ahead of schedule

If you're in Toronto and not outside right now, you are apparently among a select few people, as people around the city have flocked to patios to celebrate the abnormally warm March temperatures.

Many local restaurants, bars and cafes have already set up their patios way ahead of the official onset of spring, and with temps soaring above 21 C Wednesday afternoon, there's no wonder that they were more packed than one would expect at this time of year.

Based on current TWN forecasts, the city has smashed the record for the warmest March 13, which was 20.4 C all the way back in 1990.

The average temp for this day is - 1.1 C, but after this freakishly mild El Nino winter, today's conditions are not seeming like much of a surprise to those out and about.

Even some of those patios that aren't bustling as of early Wednesday afternoon are still set up in anticipation of the crowds heading out to bask in the sun.

Popular patio destinations such as Death and Taxes, Java House, the Black Bull, Ronnie's Local, Trinity Common, Local Public Eatery and restaurants along the waterfront are relatively teeming, relatively, for the season.

"It’s the first warm day in Toronto and the city is booming. All of the patios and coffee shops are rammed," one person said on X.

"It’s amazing what an impact the weather has on your motivation to go out and spend money."
Sadly, the tropical weather will be short-lived, as the mercury will drop to single-digits overnight and into tomorrow morning.

Thursday is set to be 11 C with a chance of showers.