St. Patrick's Parade marches on in very different weather

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) - March can bring very different kinds of weather to western Massachusetts, from huge snowstorms to unseasonably warm, sunny days.

As you might expect, then, the weather for the annual Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade has varied greatly from year-to-year. The huge groups of people who go to see the parade has remained pretty steady, however, in a month where appropriate clothing can vary from heavy winter coats to tee shirts.

“I’ve seen it when it’s been bitter cold, and we had to plow the snow the day before, and we still had the same crowds. And I’ve seen other times and there’ve been people with tee shirts and shorts, but the crowd’s pretty consistent. I don’t think they mind, it’s such a big deal,” Carl Peterson of Holyoke said.

The parade steps-off late Sunday morning, which is actually St. Patrick’s Day itself. For a look at what the weather will be like for this year’s parade, check out the latest 22News Storm Team Forecast .