93 in L.A.--a Replay of Summer

Surfers sweated as they waited for sets of waves to roll into the beach breaks of Orange County. Children played flag football for hours in Los Angeles city parks. Municipal pools saw swimmers in numbers akin to the days of summer.

Scenes such as these dotted the Southland on Saturday--less than two weeks before Thanksgiving.

The hottest spot in the nation was El Toro in Orange County, at 99 degrees, while the Los Angeles Civic Center reported 93 degrees, tying the record set for the date in 1956. Los Angeles International Airport also recorded a high of 93 degrees.

High temperatures in other cities included: Long Beach, 96; San Juan Capistrano, 97; Montebello, 92; Torrance, 92, and Woodland Hills, 91. The relative humidity ranged from 13% to 42%.

Southern Californians enjoying the heat had offshore winds to thank for the record temperatures, said Steve Burback, a meteorologist at WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times.

The heat was caused by light but persistent winds that kept cooler air several miles off the coast, Burback said. Without the marine cover, temperatures became unseasonably warm, he said.

At Rancho La Cienega Recreation Center in southwest Los Angeles, children were lined up waiting to get into the pool at its 2 p.m. opening time.

“The kids turned out today,” said Portia Morris, a clerk at the pool. “It was real dead last week when it was cold.”

Morris said about 55 children had visited the pool by late Saturday afternoon, with an hour still left for swimming. The week before, she said, about one-third the children used the pool.

“Last week, they came bundled up in jackets and warm clothes,” said Deven Bouchet, the weekend pool manager. “Today, they were in T-shirts and shorts, some of them carrying skateboards.”

In inland valleys, including Riverside and San Bernardino counties, temperatures were reported in the low- to mid-90s. Ontario recorded a high of 94 degrees.

The heat is expected to last through the long holiday weekend, Burback said. “It should stay at least in the upper 80s today and on Monday,” he said.

A storm front developing over the Gulf of Alaska may bring an end to the high temperatures, he said. Winds and cooler readings are expected by Tuesday, when temperatures are expected to reach the mid-70s, he said.

In other sections of the United States, autumn has turned to winter.

In upstate Maine, snow fell Saturday and temperatures plunged into the 20s as northerly winds whipped New England, Burback said.

Maine residents, you have Southern California’s sympathy.