Heat’s Still On as Thermometer Hits Record Levels

Hot desert air coursed through San Diego County on Tuesday, pushing temperatures to record levels and prompting many people to play hooky and go to the beach.

The Santa Ana condition will peak today with near-record highs again expected, said National Weather Service forecaster Wilbur Shigehara.

“The Santa Ana started last weekend and it hasn’t given up,” he said. “The heating, especially, has hit us rather strongly.”

The high temperature at Lindbergh Field hit 81 degrees Tuesday afternoon, topping the previous record high for the date of 79 degrees, set in 1945.

The average high for this time of year at the airport is 67 degrees, according to Shigehara.

Highs in the inland areas of the county were even more impressive, with Lemon Grove hitting the 90-degree mark and Escondido and Spring Valley chalking up 88-degree highs.

Crowds at Beaches

The high at Lindbergh Field is expected to hit 80 degrees today, with highs in the warmest inland areas again near 90, Shigehara said.

San Diego area lifeguards reported larger-than-average crowds, though the influx did not result in any problems, primarily because the ocean water was a cold 56 degrees.

“It’s beautiful. It’s a summer day in February,” Del Mar lifeguard Grant Larson said. “But the water’s still cold, cold enough to keep people out.”

“There are quite a few people out--a lot of surfers, a lot of people out with their kids, taking a walk on the pier,” said Oceanside lifeguard Michele VanWagoner.

Though it will not be quite as hot Friday through the weekend, clear skies and warmer-than-average temperatures will continue to prevail, Shigehara said.

“We expect the hot temperatures to peak (today), gradually weakening Friday and the weekend,” he said. “It will still be a very nice weekend, with the remnants of the Santa Ana bringing us continued clear skies and well above seasonal temperatures.

“There will not be a dramatic drop-off, but a very gradual change,” Shigehara added. “Temperatures will slowly cool down and there will be a slow build-up of haze.”

The cause of all this warmth and clear skies is an offshore flow, which is pulling in desert air over Southern California’s inland and coastal areas, according to Shigehara.

“Offshore flow is synonymous with Santa Ana,” he said. “What is known technically as an offshore flow conditions has come to be known commonly as a Santa Ana.”

Also synonymous with Santa Ana are gusty winds, which have been lacking for the most part in the inland and coastal areas, but have been much in evidence in the mountain areas the last several days, Shigehara said.

A wind advisory will remain in effect in the mountains through this afternoon, with gusts between 25 and 40 m.p.h. expected. Trucks and other vehicles using Interstate 8 through the mountain pass are asked to use caution, Shigehara said.

The winds are expected to diminish by Friday, he added.

Times staff writer Andrea Estepa contributed to this report.