Summer Weather Precedes Spring

By EMILY OTANI

March 11, 1997 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

It felt as if summer blasted in early Monday as Orange County sweltered under temperatures that soared into the mid-90s in some places, well above the mid-60s and low 70s normal for this time of year.

Santa Ana hit 94 degrees, breaking a 1982 record of 82 degrees and reaching nearly 30 degrees above normal. Meanwhile, Anaheim posted 95 degrees, the high for the county according to WeatherData, a private weather service that provides forecasts for The Times.

Along the coast, temperatures were in the mid-70s to low 80s, while inland areas went into the high 80s to low 90s and the mountains ranged from the 60s to mid-70s.

A ridge of high pressure and a slight offshore breeze combined to cause the unusual temperatures, said Curtis Brack, WeatherData meteorologist.

Although temperatures will probably stay hotter than normal for the rest of the week, a slight cooling trend will begin Tuesday, Brack said.

“It still looks like it’ll be warm, but we’re going to stay mostly sunny but with onshore breezes tomorrow,” he said.

Generally, the warm weather was welcome. Some found ways to bask in the heat, or at least be circumspect about the weather.

Carol Baird of Tustin sat outdoors at a restaurant with an empty milkshake canister.

“I was just saying how lucky we are here, compared to what’s going on in the rest of the country when everyone else is having floods and tornadoes,” she said. “I’ll take an earthquake here any day over that stuff.”

In Santa Ana, Dennis Pevehouse, who works for a private contractor, was shoveling a hole to lay a foundation for a bus shelter.

“It’s hard to deal with when you first start,” he said. “It really slows you down. This isn’t my favorite thing to do.”

At another eatery, in Orange, customer Ally Marquez noticed a change in people’s demeanor.

“Everybody’s out more, and I think everybody’s happier,” she said. “I think it’s the hot weather that’s putting people in a good mood.”

Brenda Palomo, chomping on a chili dog down the street, was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt because radio reports forecast hot weather.

“I’m going to the library, and it’s great there because of the air conditioning,” she said. “Then maybe later I’ll go for a swim.”

Two tourists from Essex, England, Janet Heath and her daughter Rachel, were pleasantly surprised by the warm temperature while walking past antique shops near Orange Circle.

“I spoke to my son on the phone the other night and I asked him what the weather there was like,” Janet Heath recalled. “He said, ‘Foggy and cold.’ ”

Said Orange crossing guard Jim Niday: “When it rains out here, I don’t have any protection, so it doesn’t get much better than this.”

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Early Summer

Record-breaking temperatures scorched Santa Ana on Monday, setting a high for the date-the thirdrecord in six days:

March 5: 87 degrees

Previous high: 85 degrees (1953)

March 9: 82 degrees

Previous high: 80 degrees (1983)

March 10: 94 degrees

Previous high: 82 degrees (1982)

Monday’s Santa Ana high was nearly 30 degrees higher than normal: