It’s that funny transitional time of the summer when every morning starts out in a cloud and we wait and see when this hilltop will break through to the sun. It always does because summer is simply not a time for rain on this hilltop. I remember when I lived in Maine for three years back in the mid-60s. I worked on the golf course each of those three summers and so I was acutely aware of the summer weather patterns of South Central Maine. We were a little further to the coast in Poland Spring, Maine (about 20-25 miles depending on which cove you aimed at) and here on this hilltop we are more like 15 miles as the crow flies to the ocean. Here we sit high enough to see the ocean most days, but in Maine you would never know the ocean was nearby if you didn’t look at a map. In Maine, the pattern was that every day began with a thick coastal fog (not a mist and not a cloud layer…a fog) that hung like a tarp over the landscape. If you didn’t know the weather patterns, you would cancel your day’s activities being certain that such a thick soup could never go away in time to salvage the day. And that tarp hung there until about 11am every day and then lifted gradually so that by noon it would get sunny and start to warm up. The rest of the day would vary with some days staying clear and others turning into later day thunderstorms. No one would accuse Maine’s weather of being benign at any time of the year. By contrast, everyone thinks that San Diego has perfect weather all the time. I don’t think I would trade it for anyone else’s weather, but it would be wrong to say it is perfect.
May Gray and June Gloom are very real phenomenon and this year we have had a generally cool late spring/early summer. I would characterize it as pleasingly cool rather than anything unpleasant. I enjoy walking out of the house in the morning and feeling the sun’s warmth as I head to the gym in my garage or out into the garden. I suspect that I have felt that only 60% of the days, but that is because I tend to go out early. If it is overcast at 7am it will almost certainly be sunny clear skies by 9am. Only rarely does the gloom last more than that. In other years, I have felt that the problem was less about the morning chill and more about the noonday heat. Buddy doesn’t like to walk if the weather is oppressively warm with the sun beating down on him. He tends to mind more than I do, but I too feel restricted when it gets too hot (which I will define as over 85 degrees). What I like to see on the weather app is a forecast that shows a high of 80 with a low of 56, which is where the day begins.
Most thermal comfort research converges on a fairly narrow band. The preferred ambient air temperature is roughly 68–72°F for most people at rest, indoors, and in typical clothing. This is the range used in most building codes and HVAC standards. Slight individual and cultural variation exists with people in warmer climates often reporting comfort at a few degrees higher, partly due to acclimatization and partly due to clothing/activity norms. People who are going to the beach want warmer weather and as for water temperature for swimming, most people prefer 78–82°F … cool enough to be refreshing, yet warm enough not to shock. The recommended sleep environment is slightly cooler than daytime comfort, often cited around 65–68°F since core body temperature naturally drops at night, and a cooler room seems to help that process along. A few variables shift the “ideal” point. That’s especially so for humidity since higher humidity makes the same temperature feel hotter. We enjoy a very moderate humidity level here in San Diego, with it even a bit lower here in North County thanks to the nearby deserts. Also, air movement, activity level, clothing, age (older adults often prefer it a bit warmer), and acclimatization to one’s regional climate all make a difference.
As we get to the end of June every year, we look forward to two things…less gloom and the arrival of my daughter and grandkids. We go all over the county when the kids are here, so the weather is always of interest. Coastal San Diego stays mild in July, but North County inland, where our hilltop sits, runs noticeably hotter and drier with bigger day/night swings. San Diego (coastal/city) in July has highs around 74–76°F, lows around 62–66°F, average around 68–70°F. Nearly every day in July warms to over 70 degrees with the city averaging 4 days reaching into the 80s and temperatures above 90°F occurring only about once a decade. It’s also dry, as San Diego normally gets no rain in July. North County inland is noticeably hotter, with average highs running about 82°F, and lows around 62°F. The heat index (factoring in humidity) averages around 86°F, and direct sun exposure can push the perceived temperature up another 15°F. In other words….you want to stay near the shade. The afternoons up here are in the low-to-mid 80s, with the mornings/evenings much more comfortable in the low 60s, but with full sun pretty much all the time. That’s why we have put a premium on shade up here, with a big shade sail over the driveway, a big palapa over the patio and another palapa out on the deck facing the ocean.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, we love our weather on this hilltop. I really love being out on the patio in the early morning as the sun comes up. I love being on the deck at midday when the palapa really protects you and you get the clear and crisp views of the ocean while the warmth takes over you. Then I like being inside in the living room in the air conditioning in the later afternoon when I can see the sunshine and yet feel the cool of the AC wafting over me. Evenings on the patio barbecuing or jumping into the hot tub are a pleasure as the sun is on the other side of the house by then. We get a lot of nice cool and warm breezes on this hilltop and that always makes it even more pleasant. But what really turns June Gloom into June Joy for us is that in a few days Carolyn, John, Charlotte and Evelyn arrive for the month and the weather just becomes a symbol for all the great times we always have that make our summers so special on this hilltop.