Green shoots are pushing up from flower beds, inching past crocuses that have come and mostly

gone after a winter of well-below-average snowfall.

Nets are strung on outdoor tennis courts around town, and early-bird golfers are trying to

direct their shots away from mushy patches of fairway.

Why, we're already midway between St. Patrick's Day and the Bisons home opener, just two

weeks away.

But nothing said "Spring!" like the aroma of hot dogs on the grill wafting from Franklin

and West Eagle streets as temperatures pushed into the mid-40s under clear skies Tuesday.

"When the sun shines the business shines," chirped vendor Mark McCarthy, who will mark 25

years at the busy downtown corner April 15, as customers lined up to grab a quick meal on the

run.

Not that bad weather keeps him off the street very often. Only on the windiest days, when

his umbrella-shaded cart "would wind up in Angola" if he dared set up, does McCarthy elect to

stay home in West Seneca.

"Snow doesn't make a winter," he said. "I'd be out here 365 days a year if it weren't for

the wind. Sometimes, in November, you can't get out for a full week."

Sales of hot dogs, sausages and soft drinks can only get better over the next few days for

McCarthy and fellow vendors plying their trade at several nearby intersections, with highs

expected to climb from near 60 today into the 70s over the weekend.

The Genesee Valley might even top 80 by Saturday, the National Weather service said.

Over in Lancaster, parks workers are gearing up. Crews have been out cleaning up the town

parks and fixing the winter damage.

"Once the weather breaks, we know there's going to be a lot of families trying to get out,

after being cooped up in their houses," said Terrence McCracken, general crew chief of the

town's parks, recreation and forestry department.

In the Town of Tonawanda, Adams Nurseries on Sheridan Drive opened its doors for the season

on Monday. Customers are asking for Easter plants and looking for crabgrass preventer and

wondering when the perennials will start to arrive, said Tricia O'Conner, the nursery manager.

"We just opened a few days ago, so people are getting antsy and want to get everything done

yesterday," O'Conner said.

Of course, with nice weather comes the annual spring battle with wet lawns and playing

fields.

"While the weather is nice, the grounds are still soggy," McCracken said. "Trying to keep

people off the diamonds is somewhat of a problem. It always is this time of year. People are

extremely anxious to get out and practice. I don't blame them."

But if you are tempted to put away the winter coats and boots, don't count your snowflakes

before they've fallen, counsels the National Weather Service.

Though Buffalo's measurable snowfall totals 74.1 inches for the season, nearly two feet

below average, spring weather here can be perversely fickle, meteorologist Mike Pukajlo

pointed out.

"We usually have one or two snow events in April, and it's not uncommon to have them as

late as mid-May," he said.

If winter is indeed finished, this will be Buffalo's shortest snow season since

record-keeping started in 1871. The first measurable snowfall was Dec. 1, about two weeks

later than usual, and the most recent was Feb. 28.

Even without more snow, we'll still have the lake influence, as we always do," Pukajlo said.

Winds off Lake Erie "tend to keep us a little cooler," he added — as if we need to be

reminded.

News Staff Reporter Jay Rey contributed to this report.