Hot days and rain heading in

WEATHER TIDBITS

January of 2003 has seen more 80-degree days than last July and

August.

High temperature records for January have been shattered all

across Southern California and especially in communities near and

along the coast.

A handful of nights have actually been warmer than some of our

nights last July!

Our weekend that just passed had the thermometer imitating summer

levels. At 9 p.m. Saturday, it was an amazing 77 degrees. Midnight

was still 68 degrees. Sunday morning’s minimum was a July-like 61

degrees. By 1 p.m., it had shot all the way to 83 degrees.

And for what seems like the umpteenth time this season, the surf

came alive just as the latest warm wave peaked. Eighty-degree temps

and strong west northwest and northwest swells have been occurring at

unprecedented frequency.

During the course of an “average” winter, we’ll get maybe three or

four healthy swells. It’s about 50-50 that optimum conditions will

happen the same time the waves hit, optimum meaning day long glassy

or offshore texture on the water surface.

This winter, it’s gelled so many times, I’ve kinda lost count, and

winter’s halfway point isn’t until Feb. 5!

At this point, the 2002-03 winter has been the most consistent

I’ve ever witnessed. I mean, some days have been nothing short of

immaculate!

The first five months of last year had a meager total of four days

with surf of 5 feet. Three of those four were unridable, with 20 mph

on-shores all day.

This season, it’s been 5 feet between swells!

What a difference a year makes -- from worst to first!

And now, the bad news: After a good start, the 2002-03 rainy

season has really been lagging of late. Nothing this month, and

January’s almost over. Only twice in Laguna’s history has January

been rainless, 1961 and 1991.

This latest Tidbit installment is being written on Monday the

27th, and the way things are shaping up, rain looks next to

impossible through at least the 3rd to 5th of February.

We average about 12 3/4 inches a year here in town. Nearly 8 1/2

inches of that in December, January and February alone.

We average at 5 1/4 inches up to Jan. 27. We should be at about 6

inches even by now, so we’re not in the critical zone yet.

But now, it looks like another round of 80- to 85-degree days is

just around the corner, probably by the time you read this.

I’m sticking with my forecast of a generous load of water in

February and March.

I hope I’m on the mark.

Meanwhile, I’m going to hang with Blair and the rest of the

beauties in Emerald Bay -- where the real talent is thriving!

Stay tuned!

* DENNIS McTIGHE is a Laguna Beach resident. He earned a

bachelor’s in earth sciences from UCSD and was a U.S. Air Force

weatherman at Hickman AFB, Hawaii.