Beating the Heat at Main Beach

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By Cassandra Reinhart, Special to the Independent

Two-year old Francisco Adriana from Chile enjoys the hot day Tuesday on Main Beach with his family. Photo by Cassie Walder.
Two-year old Francisco Adriana from Chile enjoys the hot day Tuesday on Main Beach with his family. Photo by Cassie Walder.

Triple-digit heat and Santa Ana winds gusting up to 45mph prompted an Excessive Heat and Red Flag Warning for the Orange County Coastal Zone this week, prompting fire vigilance across the region.

Laguna Beach was not immune, with temperatures hitting 98 degrees on Tuesday and close to that on Wednesday, unseasonably warm for late October.

“Basically, it’s heat caused by strong high pressure over the Western US,” said Noel Isla, Forecaster with the National Weather Service out of San Diego. “Usually when there is high pressure it acts as a cap, meaning a cap that seals the surface heating during the day time.”

Santa Ana winds and strong high pressure combined to bring near record-breaking heat through Wednesday, mostly from the coast into the western valleys.

The National Weather Service said the heat wave started Monday, and by Thursday the Santa Ana winds were to have weakened, bringing temperatures in Laguna Beach back down to the mid-70s.

On the heels of deadly statewide wildfires over the last few weeks, local officials prompted residents to be vigilant during the heat wave.

“An elevated sense of awareness is imperative during extreme weather conditions,” said Laguna Beach Emergency Operations Coordinator Jordan Villwock. “Laguna Beach residents should take this time to evaluate their preparedness levels.”

Some, like Sandra Rouhana, escaped the swelter of Los Angeles on Tuesday and took the day off to bask on Main Beach with her family.

“It’s really hot, really hot. When we came here we felt like that’s not normal. It was 97, in the Valley it’s like 108,” Rouhana said. “It’s the first year we were able to get in the water this late.”

Amanda Drozd works at Chantilly Ice Cream in downtown Laguna Beach. She tried to get ahead of the heat wave last week when she ordered more ice cream.

“If it’s going to be hotter we need to order more ice cream because we need to keep things super frozen,” said Drozd. “If it’s going to be really hot, people get really upset if it melts quickly.”

Luke Hernandez, 3 cools off with ice cream at Chantilly's in downtown Laguna. Photo by Cassie Walder.
Luke Hernandez, 3 cools off with ice cream at Chantilly’s in downtown Laguna. Photo by Cassie Walder.

Isla said this type of high-pressure heat cap happens about once a year, and it’s not uncommon that it happens this late. But it is uncommon the usually immune, mild Mediterranean climate of Laguna Beach sees high-90s heat.

“It’s rare that it does heat up that high,” Isla said.

Shay Taylor drove down to Laguna from Huntington Beach Tuesday afternoon, after checking the heat forecast.

“It’s a good day to come down to the beach and hang out,” Taylor said. “This is one of the hottest days I have seen down here, it’s a freak day but it’s cool.”

Taylor’s friend, Michelle Hustad, is visiting him from Scottsdale Arizona. She brought a different perspective to our 98-degree day.

“This is perfect, this is a nice summer day when we get 90-degree weather. Usually its 120s!

Even though you guys don’t think this is nice, I think it’s nice,” Hustad said.

Inland Orange County was predicted to remain in the 90s through Thursday and back to the mid to upper 80s by the weekend.

 

 

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