REGION: Blazing heat forecast through Saturday

By DAN SIMMONS and SARAH GORDON - Staff Writers | Thursday, June 19, 2008 7:38 PM PDT ∞

NORTH COUNTY ---- A sizzling desert. A still-chilly ocean.

It's the meeting between those two climate forces that's partly behind the triple-digit temperatures expected to keep inland North County residents at a boil through Saturday, said National Weather Service forecaster Stan Wasowski.

"This time of year, the desert is always much warmer than the sea," he said Thursday.

A look at a thermometer confirms it. Desert: 105-110 degrees. Sea: 65-70 degrees. The desert's heat wins out, Wasowski said, pushing hot sun and high temperatures westward, closer to the ocean.

Later in the summer, he said, the sea water warms up significantly while the desert stays about the same. And "the disparity between inland and coastal air diminishes some," he said.

But that's for later. For now, cloudless days are forecast through Saturday, with a high of 102 forecast Friday and 100 on Saturday followed by a slightly cooler 91-degree high Sunday and a pleasant 86-degree high Monday, according to the National Weather Service in San Diego. The nights are forecast to be in the high 50s and low 60s.

Ramona tied a record set in 1986 when it reached 102 degrees Thursday, officials said. Vista, which reached 95 degrees, beat its 94-degree record set in 1973.

In Escondido, where temperatures rose to the mid-90s on Thursday, residents sought shelter from the heat.

Andrea Moore, a server at Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt on South Centre City Parkway, said business had been steady all day and, at one point midafternoon, a line of 15 people stretched from counter to the door.

"Sometimes it's a little overwhelming," Moore said, "but in this weather I think people expect the wait."

On Thursday, most customers ordered "for here," Moore said, opting to linger in the air-conditioned shop.

At the main branch of the Escondido Public Library on South Kalmia Street, people of all ages flocked in as soon as the doors opened at 10 a.m., city Librarian Laura Mitchell said.

"We had way more people than we usually do; they were definitely coming in to beat the heat," Mitchell said.

Temperatures were more bearable at the coast, where the cool ocean still dominates. There, a shallow marine layer is expected to linger during the inland heat, and the sea breeze may push it ashore at times, Weather Service forecaster Ted MacKechnie said. Coastal areas can expect fog and highs in the low 70s for the rest of the week.

On Thursday, the fog rolled in midday, MacKechnie said.

It didn't deter swimmers at South Carlsbad State Beach, Lifeguard Supervisor Jacob Sandy said. But it created tough work for those paid to keep an eye on them.

"It makes it harder for the lifeguards to do their job when they can't see very well," Sandy said.

Officials recommend precautions during the week's hot weather: Avoid outdoor activities during the hottest parts of the day; wear light, loose clothing; and drink plenty of water.

People should take advantage of shade and air conditioning when available and neither people nor pets should be left in enclosed vehicles, officials said.

Contact staff writer Dan Simmons at (760) 740-5426 or dsimmons@nctimes.com.