When several feet of snow covered the Pittsburgh area in February, Gabriella and Grace Matthews, ages 7 and 4, made a plan to get them through the harsh winter: They were going to spend their summer swimming at the Dormont Pool.

The girls and their mother, Michele Mastroianni, from Cecil, were at the entrance to the pool before it even opened at noon Memorial Day, ready to start making good on a warm weather plan several months in the making. They said it had been worth the wait.

"The water is very nice," Gabriella said.

Hundreds of others had the same idea. By 3 p.m., at least 500 people had come through the pool's front doors, even though intermittent thunder showers forced swimmers out of the water for a short time.

"This is the best opening weekend we've had in three or four years," pool manager Tom McMullen said, crediting the hot day and above-average water temperature for bringing in the crowd.

A sign at the front entrance announced that the water was 73 degrees, the slide was open and the air temperature would reach a high of 80.

If that wasn't enough to draw patrons to the pool, admission was also free on Monday.

Sunbathers lounged on the grass and concrete areas around the pool, swimmers jumped in the deep end and the adventurous lined up to ride down the slide in the middle of the mammoth facility.

The pool has undergone many repairs over the last few years and this summer features wireless Internet and a new sound system.

The Matthews sisters said they plan to come to the pool all season, and Gabriella has a goal in mind to achieve before Labor Day: Pass the swim test so she can go down the big slide.

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