The heat is on!
As usual, Ocean City it’s keeping its individual and collective cool in the face of flirtation with the season’s first heat wave. The consensus was, if you’re going to be in a heat wave, you might as well be in a heat wave in Ocean City.
“It doesn’t bother me,” said year-round resident Jack Baldwin, who was taking a stroll on the boardwalk yesterday as temperatures hovered near 90 and humidity was in full effect at 58 percent around noontime, according to Accu-weather.
Three days in a row of 90 degrees-plus qualifies as a heat wave. And while it was unclear the thermometer would register that high on Wednesday, it was still hot by anyone’s standards. And the forecast calls for at least two more days of the same. Thursday’s predicted high was 93. That did not stop Baldwin.
“I’m an old milk man,” Baldwin said, recalling his former occupation, which the younger generation might find unbelievable – running a route of milk deliveries in his native Frankford section of Philadelphia. “I’m used to going out in all types of weather.”
Jack’s companion Thompson Boakye, a native of Ghana, did not share his friend’s sunny view of the heat.
“Africa is hot, but not like this…this is too much!” said Boakye.
Most sampled in OCNJ’s unofficial survey felt the weather was perfect for beach, boardwalk and all kinds of summer fun in America’s Greatest Family Resort. Visitors said temperatures were about eight degrees higher in Philadelphia where a dangerous heat advisory was in effect.
Todd Williams of Exeter, PA, was playing ball down by the water’s edge with his 4-year-old son Riggs. The pair did not seem at all slowed by the temperatures.
“The water temp (68 degrees F., according to the lifeguards) is perfect and really refreshing. It’s not too hot and it’s really a perfect beach day,” Williams said.
He added that he has been coming to Ocean City for vacation “all my life,” and this year’s respite with wife Amy and his other kids Riley, 6, and the family’s newest addition Cassie, eight months, would not be the last visit this year.
“We are both teachers and this is our third time this summer,” said Williams. As for the heat, he was taking it in stride. “Yesterday was worse. We went up to the rides on the boardwalk around 5 p.m. yesterday…that was hot.”
Beachgoer Jeff Lyons of Cherry Hill posted Wednesday morning on social media to his friends back home, “It’s in the 80s and tonight we will probably need to wear a jacket. Go ahead and call me whatever name you want!”
Pittsburgh’s Courtney Milanovich was sunning on the pool deck at the Garden’s Plaza condo building at Park Place and the beach and enjoying the weather with her new four-month-old son Pierce.
“This morning, we were walking and it felt hotter than it does now,” she said. “The (temperature) really doesn’t matter,” she said. It’s all about sunshine and family.”
Milanovish, husband Danny and Pierce were renting at the GP for the first time following several years of renting homes. “We’ve been thinking about coming here for a long time, mostly because of the pool,” she said. “Definitely!” she said when asked if the beachfront pool had lived up to the hype.
Lifeguard Shae Coniglio, a Seton Hall University speech pathology student, said she was in her fifth year as a lifeguard and the first at Gardens Plaza.
“I don’t always go in the water, but today I jumped in,” she said. “I am making sure that I drink a lot of water and stay hydrated,” she added.
