Spring was certainly in the air around the region on the first day of the new season, with all communities enjoying a warm day and mostly clear skies.

Young Henry Groth and Emma Geddes and their pals in Barraba relished the chance to get out the preschool scooters and do a few laps outside, where they’re looking forward to spending a lot more of their time in coming months.

According to the local forecast, yesterday was as warm it gets for the week, the North West reaching temperatures in the low 20s, while even the tablelands got into the high teens.

Today, Tamworth is expecting a top of 18 and residents woke to a relatively moderate minimum of 8.

The New England is looking at a maximum of 16 and there’s even a 90 per cent chance of 1 to 5mm of rain across the region.

Tomorrow, the mercury will drop a little further, reminding us winter has not altogether gone, with Armidale reaching just 12, and Tamworth 17.

With minimums of 1 and 3 respectively, both centres can also expect frosts, and it’s a similar story for Thursday.

Heading into the Father’s Day weekend, Tamworth is looking at maximums of 19 and 20 for Saturday and Sunday, while Armidale is expected to reached 16 and 17.

There’s also a chance of showers on the tablelands, while the North West will be mostly sunny.