GILROY
– South County continues to boil away record high temperatures
as a heat wave brings summer-like weather and banishes memories of
recent winter storms.
GILROY – South County continues to boil away record high temperatures as a heat wave brings summer-like weather and banishes memories of recent winter storms.
The high on Tuesday reached 88 degrees, far surpassing the previous record of 81 degrees set in 1972.
It looks like Punxsutawney Phil was wrong when he predicted six more weeks of winter weather on Groundhog Day, Feb. 2. Gilroyans spent the past week or so relishing temperatures that hit the upper 80s by flocking to parks, working in their gardens and licking ice cream cones.
“It’s wonderful, the weather’s awesome,” said Yolanda Santos, who took her 6- and 3-year-old sons to play in Christmas Hill Park Tuesday afternoon as temperatures hit the high 80s. “It’s great to get to take the kids to the park.”
The unusual March heat surprised weather experts, as well.
“It is very unusual for it to last this long, especially this early in the year,” said Diana Henderson, a forecaster with the National Weather Service.
Gilroy hit a record 87 degrees Monday, beating the previous record of 84 degrees set in 1994. Sunday was another record-breaker, with temperatures reaching 84 degrees.
Gilroy is the norm, rather than the exception. Cities all over the Bay Area burst through previous record temperatures on Sunday, including San Francisco, which hit 78 degrees to tie a record set in 1926.
Friday, when the mercury hit a warm 79 degrees, was the only day in the past week that did not meet or beat a record.
A high pressure ridge is currently sitting over the state, Henderson said, which is keeping temperatures in the upper 70s to 80s. Locals can expect at least a few more days of summer’s preview.
In the meantime, Gilroyans are relishing the sunshine.
Sharron Foster and her young daughter spent much of the weekend outdoors and enjoyed a picnic lunch in the shade Tuesday.
“We just go to the parks often,” said Foster, who has called Gilroy home for almost six months. “We went to the beach. We’re new to the area, so we don’t know how hot it gets yet.”
Others took advantage of the weekend sunshine by purchasing gardening supplies to ready their yards for spring.
“It was a very busy weekend,” said Debra Tibbs, manager of Garden Accents in north Gilroy. “I think with all this nice weather people are looking at their yards, and I think a lot of people are seeing us because we’re expanding our yard out to the front.”
The store at 11155 Lema Ave. has a large supply of pottery, including a recent colorful shipment from China, that can be seen from U.S. 101.
“When you put a lot of bright colors out there, people see that we’re doing something different, and they’re curious,” Tibbs said. “And our gardens are coming out with a lot of spring colors, and people enjoy walking through them and getting ideas.”
Some sun relishers indulged in a favorite summertime treat: ice cream.
Cold Stone Creamery opened on March 5 and has been doing well since.
“Phenomenally well,” Owner Steve Emick said. “Our timing couldn’t have been better. We’re doing summer-type business right now … very steady, lines out the door.”
The ice cream shop is located at 890 Renz Lane, in Pacheco Pass Center near U.S. 101 and Highway 152.
“Sunday, the line never ended,” Emick said. “It’s a good problem to have.”
Henderson warned residents not to get used to the warm weather because it will rain before spring fully blooms, she said, but not until the middle of next week.
“(The high-pressure ridge is) flattening out toward the end of the week, so temperatures should cool down then,” she said, “just in time for the weekend.”
