Though their past gaffes haven't faded away, those fearless pro forecasters, heading into a new decade, have no hestitation in putting a . . . : Finger on Fate : Weather or Not

Though their past gaffes haven’t faded away, those fearless pro forecasters, heading into a new decade, have no hestitation in putting a . . . : Finger on Fate : Weather or Not

By MICHAEL QUINTANILLA

Dec. 27, 1989 12 AM PT

It was one of those rare smog-free Southern California summer days known as “clear.” Not an ominous cloud hovering. Not a Santa Ana wind blasting. Not a catastrophic atmospheric condition brewing in Maclovio Perez’s crystal barometer.

Or so thought the KCBS weather forecaster when he predicted 80-degree temperatures for the benefit of a group of CBS affiliate managers visiting Los Angeles that May day--and it turned into a blistering cold snap.

“I heard about it the next day!” Perez says. “What can you say? I said, ‘Oops.’

“Every year CBS does this for the affiliates and every day the CBS people call me for a weather forecast so people know how to dress,” he explained.

On this particular day the group was headed for an outdoor outing at Universal Studios.

“I predicted that the maximum temperature would be 84 degrees and that short sleeves and shorts would be the way to go,” he said. But the temperature plummeted and left the group shivering in the evening.

“What happened was that the air over the San Fernando Valley dried up and we here at the coast were getting a sea breeze that was moist,” Perez said. “The San Fernando Valley temperature dropped to the low 50s, which on a summer night is not expected. As a result, I had major CBS affiliate executives--people who might hire me someday--freezing when I had previously said it would be a pleasantly mild, balmy summer night.”

But the forecaster--who said stars such as Jane Wyman and Angela Lansbury consult him when planning trips--weathered the embarrassment. Next May, his 12th annual weather predictions for the visiting affiliates will be counted on.

“Besides,” Perez said, “kids in elementary school think I’m cool.” The weatherman, who can be seen at noon and 6 p.m. weekdays on Channel 2, is also the host of Saturday morning’s Kid Quiz, a two-time Emmy winner.

“I’m the hottest thing in fifth grade.”