Another fix of torrid heat lured some to area lakes on Labor Day, but the crowds were a tad smaller Monday afternoon than those over the weekend, observers said.

"We sold out all 275 lake passes by 2 p.m. Sunday for boat launches," said Adam Layton, 41, of Lake Elsinore-based Rocky Mountain Recreation Co.

Layton doubted that would be duplicated Monday, when the high in Lake Elsinore was projected to be at or close to 115 degrees, according to meteorologist Noel Isla of the National Weather Service.

The crowds at Lake Elsinore on Labor Day - despite being the last national holiday of summer - were more "mellow," said Layton, who lives in Lake Elsinore.

"Sunday, it was a lot of Jet Skis on trailers," he said.

Those present at the boat launch Monday, however, said the merciless heat and humidity didn't give them pause. A day at Lake Elsinore was in the cards regardless of the temperatures - no matter the appeal of an air-conditioned home.

"It's Labor Day, so, of course, you come out here and party on the lake," said Matt Barnard, 20, of Murrieta.

"Yeah, and sitting at home's boring," added Barnard's 19-year-old buddy, Alex Stewart of Murrieta.

Temecula resident Mark Pena, 37, followed through with a promise to take his new boat out Monday.

"I worked all summer long, every day," he said. "So, I promised my kids I'd take off Labor Day weekend and buy a boat. Here we are."

In the case of 25-year-old Tim Eustace of Murrieta, blasting his home with air-conditioning wasn't an option.

"It costs too much," said the boater, who was joined by three friends Monday at Lake Elsinore.

At Lake Skinner east of Temecula, temperatures were just a tad cooler, but still record-breaking for Sept. 3.

Weathercurrents.com, a local weather reporting station, recorded a high of 105 degrees in Temecula, three degrees hotter than the previous high for the date of 102 in 2006, according to weathercurrents.com. Murrieta recorded 107, as did Menifee, matching the highs of the past two days. Lake Elsinore topped out at a blistering 112, according to the Web site, the highest in the region.

"I've been actually out here so much that I've gotten used to it," said Jack Altivers, who is a park ranger at Lake Skinner. "It's pathetic."

For some area residents, sitting inside and letting the air-conditioning keep them cool wasn't an option. About 22,500 homes in SoCal Edison's coverage area lost power Monday because of either storms or stress on the electrical grid caused by heavier usage during the heat wave, according to a spokeswoman for the utility. SoCal Edison serves Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange and Los Angeles counties.

Others braved the oppressive conditions.

At man-made Lake Harveston in Temecula, only a couple dozen people picnicked, fished or sunbathed between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. And those who were at the lake just south of the Murrieta border hid under the protective shadow of trees or gazebos.

Murrieta resident Farah Juarez, 32, said the heat never factored into her thought process when she considered spending the morning with her family at Lake Harveston.

"Now, I am thinking about it," said Juarez, laughing. "Now that we've been sitting here, sweating."

Juarez's 29-year-old boyfriend, Ryan Price, and his younger daughter fished - though 5-year-old Jordan alternated between that and the more appealing option of reclining on the soft grass.

Price's other daughter, 10-year-old Kyrsten, had a cold and quickly tired of the heat - a double dose of discomfort. Kyrsten, perhaps expectedly, wanted to go home after just five minutes at the lake.

Nearby, Temecula resident Jean Desire walked his 2-year-old daughter, Olivia.

"We wanted to take advantage of the day off," said Desire, 32. "Hopefully, I'll take some pictures of the little one - if she'll let me."

And if the temperature cooperated.

"It's just too hot," Desire said. "We'll be out here maybe 30 minutes to an hour."

It's unlikely the humidity and temperatures in Southwest County will ease in the next few days, Isla said.

"It's still hot and humid," he said. "It's not going to feel any better any time soon."

Thunderstorms were possible for late Monday and again today, Isla said.

- Contact staff writer Brian Eckhouse at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2626, or beckhouse@californian.com.