Gilroy’s high temperature breaks 1991 record
Gilroy – Unseasonably warm temperatures put black marks in more than just one record book Thursday.
“We’re swamped,” said Franco Ybarra who manages Village Car Wash on Church Street. “This is the time of year when we expect business to be very, very slow. The past few years February has proved to be our slowest month.”
This has not been the case this year.
“Shoot, we have cars lined up before we get here in the morning,” he said. “We’re working crews that we usually don’t run. We’re trying to take advantage. I expect it to go full blast until it rains.”
And that may be awhile – rain is not forecasted until next Thursday.
Thursday’s temperature reached a high of 77 degrees, beating the previous record of 76 set in 1991. San Jose broke its former record of 70 degrees set in 1964, by two degrees, and Monterey’s new record jumped seven degrees for a high of 80, set in 1964.
According to the National Weather Service, the weather has been unusually warm and dry this month with temperatures about 10 to 15 degrees above normal – and more of the same is on the way.
“We’re looking at a continuum of clear, dry, warm weather with temperatures above normal next week,” said meteorologist Rick Canepa. “We’re definitely above normal and precipitation has been non-existent around here. It’s real good weather to go to the beach.”
Despite the current dry spell, rainfall is close to the winter average for the Bay Area. San Francisco and in areas to the north have had above average rainfall. Gilroy’s January rainfall was only half an inch under normal, with 3.81 inches.
Fire officials say the lack of precipitation in South County is not a problem.
“The grass is pretty green right now,” said fire specialist Christopher Morgan of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention. “It’s not much of a concern now … We were at flood levels not much more than a month ago.”
Southern California is the area to watch. It has only had five inches of rainfall since the rain season began, Morgan explained.
“And they got it all in one shot,” he said. “They’re way below average, we’re way above.”
Unless the dry pattern continues for the next couple of months, Morgan is not worrying.
But while convertible tops may be down, spring has not yet arrived.
“We definitely have more winter to go,” Canepa said. “It’s only a matter of time before the weather changes and we get a storm off the Pacific.”
Mother Nature won’t be fooled either.
While some young bucks and birds are out starting to “rut” and “show their colors” at Coyote Lake Park, the majority of mating activity will begin next month, explained Ranger Christopher Crockett.
He is hosting a “Love Hike” Saturday morning for families and couples and expects the weather will bring out a good crowd.
“It should be beautiful this weekend,” he said.
