Sea Breeze Chases Away the Heat; Another First-Stage Smog Alert Is Forecast Today

A lilting sea breeze caressed portions of Orange County Wednesday, throwing off weather forecasts that had predicted scorching temperatures. But air-pollution officials say that the county faces another first-stage smog alert today, its second this week despite the cooler weather.

Wednesday’s heat had begun to build in the morning hours with temperatures quickly roaring into the 70s. But by noon, a gentle sea breeze, called the “Catalina eddy,”--or “souped-up wind” by forecasters--pushed aside most of the heat.

Weather forecasters had predicted that most of Orange County was going to be unbearably hot with temperatures reaching 100 degrees or more.

They were wrong.

By midday, Santa Ana had hit 79 degrees, with temperatures beginning to fall.

“The Catalina came in with a vengeance,” said Rick Dittman, a meteorologist at WeatherData, which provides forecasts to the Times.

The Catalina eddy develops from northwest winds that sweep across the outer Pacific, bringing cooler circulation into the coastal areas. The heat had been caused by a high-pressure area over Arizona that pushed desert air toward the southern portion of California.

While similar temperatures are expected today, air pollution officials predict that the county will have a first-stage smog alert, its third of the year. Last year, there were four such alerts.

“We advise elderly people, people with heart conditions and respiratory disease stay indoors and school-age children to curtail activity,” said Bill Kelly, a spokesman for the South Coast Air Quality Management District. “ . . . I wouldn’t go jogging,” he advised.

On Wednesday, smog levels in Orange County were low, with Pollutant Standards Index levels of 50 inland and 42 near the coast. The PSI measures the amount of pollutants in the air, whether it is ozone, carbon monoxide or nitrogen dioxide, and is designed to take into account their relative harmfulness, explained Bill Bope, the AQMD’s atmospheric measurements manager.

For example, air quality is considered good when the PSI measures 100 or below. A PSI of 101 to 199 is regarded as unhealthful for people who are especially sensitive to smog.

The AQMD is forecasting a PSI level today of 210--a first-stage alert is declared when the PSI registers between 200 to 275--for inland areas and 188 for the coast.

A second-stage alert is called when the PSI measures between 275 and 399.

“We are looking toward first-stage alerts in the inland areas, including inland Orange County, and clearer air near the coast,” Kelly said. “The coastal zones will come close to a first-stage alert, but will not quite reach that level.”

Despite the smog, the cool air is “kinda nice,” said Vince Testa, who is part of the work crew replacing Costa Mesa’s sewer lines along Harbor Boulevard.

Testa, who had shoveled dirt most of Wednesday morning, said the breeze has helped make work easier.

“The hardest part of this job is the (passing) drivers who lose their cool and yell because the weather is too hot,” Testa said. “When it’s nice like this, I don’t mind because the drivers don’t yell as much.”

Fellow worker Gary Schafer agreed.

“Why, this is beautiful, absolutely beautiful,” Schafer declared.

Not all were happy with the cooler weather.

Some folks had scampered off to the beaches, which forecasters said would be the coolest places outdoors. For some beach-goers, however, it was too cold.

At Huntington Beach, some lifeguards wrapped themselves in their towels to keep warm. By noon, several sunbathers who had arrived in the early hours were leaving.

“It’s a bit chilly for me,” said David Cameron of Huntington Beach as he packed up his beach chair and headed for the parking lot. Cameron, who had hoped to get a tan, left after only an hour.

Even volleyball was halted on the beach where 16-year-old Derek Plano struggled to get the ball over a net.

“It’s a lot tougher to play today. The wind is just taking the ball,” Plano said.

In the southern sections of the county, temperatures were warm but not enough to break any records.

In San Clemente, Jeff Harman, lifeguard supervisor for the city’s marine safety division, said that cool morning temperatures lowered beach attendance during the day.

“To be honest, we’ve had rather light crowds,” Harman said. “This morning we’ve had overcast skies and a little bit of foggy conditions.”

The noon temperature at San Clemente beach, he said, was only 69 degrees.

A few miles north in Laguna Beach, Bruce Baird, chief of marine safety in that city, said overcast skies dominated the beach areas through most of the morning and the noon temperature was 70 degrees.

Inland temperatures in south county continued to be warm, said Orange County Fire Department Battalion Chief Ron Blaul, but it was not remarkably hot.

“It’s warm, but I’d say it’s just a July-warm day in this area,” Blaul said.