Summer is year-round, and it’s not pretty

People remember it at different times.

Maybe it was last Saturday afternoon when the trolley stops were overflowing.

Or when there was unexplainable gridlock on a late Tuesday morning.

Or when there was no parking at Ralphs.

With temperatures above 90 this winter, the seasons have become indistinguishable.

Winter is summer and summer is year-round.

Welcome to the new normal.

Since El Niño apparently is a no-show, everything has been thrown out of sync.

Without doubt, we have lost our cozy, private winter weekends to the throng that is the Inland Empire. It’s a truism: If it’s 90 here, it’s 100 or more out there.

Which means they come to Main Beach, the ice cream store and that’s about it. They don’t shop; they hover.

They get their fill of the water, sand and requisite selfies and go back home, rarely staying for dinner. It’s a fact proven by numerous studies. Day trippers are frugal.

But aside from the financials, it’s the cultural effects and proprietary sense of injustice that Lagunans mostly feel.

Winter is our time. Period.

So with this unusual weather pattern — and the very real prospect that it could be something permanent — is it too early to whine? Personally, no.

But there are other problems to consider. Even if the weather isn’t behind it, the growth of nearby cities, notably Irvine, will create this environment for us.

We’ll see gridlock on Tuesdays and experience crushing demands on our infrastructure, services and ecosystem.

Will we be ready? Are we ready?

Just look outside — pick a day, and I think the answer is obvious.

On Valentine’s Day, the downtown was a nightmare.

Every nice winter weekend has resembled a summer block party.

Whenever you hear old-timers say things like “it used to be different,” I think this is part of what they mean.

The casual, friendly beach atmosphere gives way to horns and road rage.

The classic bumper sticker, “Welcome to Laguna, now go home” comes to mind.

No one wants to fear the worst, or turn into one of those nostalgic wet blankets, but there is something to be said for this year’s winter.

On the one hand, we get a bonus, summer-like experience with good waves and relatively warm water, but we also lose our privacy.

Now we have outside dogs running loose on the beach, ruining the unspoken off-leash law for residents.

Trash and cars are everywhere.

There’s a line to get into Marine Room, for God’s sake.

This abomination started in November when it was still 84 degrees. Aside from just a few sporadic winter days, it’s been summer ever since.

So the question remains, what if this truly is the new normal? Are we ready to handle it?

From what I see, I have to say no.

Maybe the rains will come, and maybe temperatures will get back to historical normals.

Either way, we are seeing the future today in Laguna, and it’s not pretty.

DAVID HANSEN is a writer and Laguna Beach resident. He can be reached at hansen.dave@gmail.com.