This unseasonably hot weather on the Central Coast is bringing people out to Lopez Lake for the weekend.
Shauna Hayes and her family spent their Saturday morning a little differently than they usually would in March.
“We're kind of mixed feelings because we're snowboarders, so we'd rather be snowboarding, but the snow's melting, so why not be here and enjoy some sunshine?" Hayes said.
Hayes said her family usually starts their boating season in April, so coming in a month early isn’t too big of a change. Others are also taking advantage of this jump-start on the season. The parking lot near the marina was nearly full of trucks hauling boat trailers. Around the lake, people fished, swam, and paddleboarded.
Meghan Bell was paddleboarding Saturday morning.
“It's great weather," Bell said. "So you got to get out when you can, honestly, and just enjoy it rather than being stuck inside.”
In the summer, other areas near the lake are open, like the Mustang Water Park and the Vista Lago Adventure Park, but they won’t be open until closer to the normal boating season.
A representative from Lopez Lake said over the phone that, although there is a heat wave, they are still working with their wintertime staff, which is much smaller than their summertime staff of around 15 people.
Though there were occasional lines at the check-in, Bell said her experience at the lake hasn’t changed with the smaller staff.
“We didn't really have a wait when checking in, like paying the day fee," Bell said. "So it wasn't really an issue there. There was even a Lake patrol out on the water to make sure we had our flotation devices and things like that, which is different from what we've seen in the past. So I don't think it's really been affected at all.”
Bell said there were plenty of people on the water. After spending time on the East Coast, she was surprised by the heat wave hitting the Central Coast. Hayes said she and her family are making the most out of this unusual weather.
“I'm not going to lie, I don't hate it," Hayes said. "It's kind of nice to be here. We're super lucky. As I said, I'd rather be up in the mountains snowboarding where it's nice and cool, but this is pretty nice. We live on the Central Coast, so it's pretty great.”
The water park and adventure park are set to reopen in May.
