COUNTYWIDE : Beach Is Cold and Cloudy; Inland Takes the Heat

Cloudy coastal skies forced Ventura County beach-goers to wear jackets and sweaters Monday while warm temperatures had inland residents seeking the comfort of air conditioning.

Temperatures ranged from the 80s at the coast to the low 90s further inland, said meteorologist Steve Burback of WeatherData Inc. in Wichita, Kan.

Although skies were gray over Ventura Harbor for most of the day, the sun peeked through the clouds by late afternoon.

“The sun came out--we have a reason to stay!” Ventura resident Ian Boys, 11, called to his mother, Julie.

“We’re freezing, but we’ve been waiting so long to come to the beach,” she said.

Die-hard surfers Ray King and Jay Mariott, both 25, also weren’t deterred by the overcast skies.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s raining, snowing, sun,” said Mariott, a bartender at the Elephant Bar and Restaurant in Ventura.

King, who lives in Humboldt County, agreed. “We’re certainly not fair-weather surfers,” he said.

Monday’s temperatures were cooled by 10 to 15 m.p.h. winds, Burback said.

Generally, temperatures should be more summery through the rest of the week, Burback said.

Temperatures should range from the low 70s to the low 90s inland, he said.

Patchy low clouds will return during late-night and early-morning hours through the week.