Dreary days

Jenny Marder

Dark, dreary clouds and murky skies have cast a shadow over the first

days of summer -- especially for the business owners. Known as “June

gloom,” the overcast weather this month has discouraged beachgoers

and put a damper on business Downtown.

“It’s probably been the single most determining factor in sales

being down,” said Gavin Dawson, store manager for Jack’s Surfboards.

Lingering clouds struck especially painfully for Michael Ali,

owner of the Zack’s and Zack’s Too snack bars and rental shops on the

beach, where sales have been down 70% and weather conditions have

forced the business owner to lay off three full-time employees.

“Myself and other concessionaires have suffered tremendously for

close to eight weeks,” Ali said.

The gloom set up before the first month of summer this year, cast

its pall over April and May, as well. And while June gloom usually

gives way to sun by noontime, this year, clouds have been coating the

sky all afternoon.

“I could cut prices, I could cut service, I could cut product, I

could cut hours of operation,” Ali said. “But the one thing I have no

control over is Mother Nature.”

Business is down 20% at the Sun and Sands Motel, and people are

canceling reservations.

“People are only complaining. They check out because of the

weather,” said J.P. Barot, general manager of Sun and Sands. “They

plan to stay for three or four days and then decide to go somewhere

else. Gloominess brings the business down.”

At Jamba Juice, where people usually flock to escape the summer

heat with a refreshing 20-ounce fruit smoothie, this month has been

marked by short lines and sparse crowds.

Managers of the juice bar had planned on tripling the staff to

prepare for the summer rush, but now, employees are being sent home

early.

“Everyone has to go home early, and in turn, none of us have any

money,” Amy Fisk, 21, said. “We’re hiring new staff for the summer,

but it’s hard to train them since we have no money to keep them

here.”

At the beach, summer has also been off to a typically slow start,

although lifeguard towers opened with the first signs of sun each

day.

“For the weather to show some promise [Monday afternoon and

Tuesday] is encouraging,” said Lt. Mike Beuerlein of Huntington Beach

Marine Safety.

Brandt Maxwell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service,

predicts that the warmer trend this week should elbow out the gloomy

weather.

June gloom, Maxwell said, is a result of a strong wind flow caused

by low ocean temperatures, which causes clouds over coastal areas

even while it becomes warm and sunny farther inland. This June has

been cooler than normal, he said.

“Deserts get quite hot, but ocean water temperature lags a little

and doesn’t reach its peak until later in the summer,” he said. “This

contributes to a strong onshore flow and more prevalent winds from

ocean to shore.”

But the weather pattern has begun to change, Maxwell said.

“Until [Tuesday], the low clouds have never been able to clear the

coast,” he said. “Soon, it will be warmer everywhere, and the onshore

flow will be much weaker. It should be quite apparent by [today].”

Not everyone Downtown is hurting.

“We’ve been busier than ever,” said Stephanie Dalessandro, area

manager for Diane’s Swimwear, who said sales have gone up since last

June. “Everyone comes in from Inland, and when it’s raining, they

don’t turn around. Everyone still needs to buy a bathing suit.”

But for many tourism and summer-related businesses, summer sun

can’t come soon enough. For Dawson at Jack’s Surfboards, crowds sweep

in as clouds sweep out.

“Tourism picks up when it’s sunny, and when it’s not,” he said,

trailing off, looking out the window and shaking his head.