Beachgoers Desert Shore as Wave of Unseasonable Drizzle Rolls In

Drizzle and minuscule amounts of rain spotted windshields, dampened pavement and patio chairs midday Wednesday, but the sun was shining at the beach by late afternoon as the moisture-laden low-pressure system drifted eastward.

Lifeguards were waxing vehicles, scrubbing latrines and clearing unused towers while beaches, sprinkled with rain, remained nearly people-free most of the morning along county and city shores.

“No one was out there. It was cloudy and overcast, very windy and cool in the morning. We’ve been busy repairing, making sure equipment is in good shape,” said county lifeguard Ron Davenport.

The air temperature was cooler than the ocean water Wednesday during the 11 a.m drizzle in Solana Beach--the air was 68 degrees, the water 72 degrees.

San Diego lifeguard Tom Loney said the guards did not set up towers Wednesday. “We have been buffing out the place. It’s looking really 10-8 (a radio code meaning ‘in service,’ available for call).”

But about 2 p.m. the clouds moved out and by 4:30 p.m. skies were blue.

“Once school gets out, they come out to play,” said Davenport from Solana Beach. At 4:30 p.m. the air had warmed to 72 degrees.

“It is wonderful,” said Loney at Pacific Beach before sunset. “I can see Coronado Island, the green is green and the brown is brown. It is nice and clear.”

Inland, the clouds did not vanish after the brief period of rain, but shifted to allow occasional outbreaks of sunshine. Traces of rain fell through most of the county, and the California Department of Forestry reported that precipitation was evident from mid-morning to mid-afternoon in most areas of the county.

In Poway, Colette Fair, a clerk in the Sheriff’s Department substation said rain seemed to pour from the skies for about 40 minutes at noon, but otherwise clouds sent only drizzle.

According to the the National Weather Service, Poway was one of few spots that recorded measurable rainfall. About 0.09 of an inch of rain fell at Mt. Palomar, 0.07 in Poway and Alpine, and 0.06 in Santee and Vista.

Temperatures were about 5 to 10 degrees below the norm on Wednesday, a dramatic contrast to high temperatures last Sept. 4.

Inland, the differences between last year and Wednesday were more than 35 degrees. The high in Ramona Wednesday was 66--last year it was 105; at San Diego State University it was 74 Wednesday, compared to 96 in 1984; in Poway it was 70 versus 97, and in El Cajon it was 77 this year compared to 103 last year.

Wednesday’s high at Lindbergh Field was 73, compared to last year’s 87.

Early morning clouds are expected along the coast, but otherwise clear and sunny days should prevail at the shore and inland through Friday. Temperatures will warm slightly, but will remain below average until the weekend, forecasters said.

Mountain skies should be partly cloudy today but clear by Friday.

Today coastal strip highs are expected between 72 and 74 with lows in the 59- to 64-degree range; inland highs should be between 73 and 76 degrees, with nighttime lows in the 50s.