SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- San Diego residents and visitors flocked to beaches, parks, and shops Friday as record-breaking February heat made it feel more like midsummer across the city.
Temperatures soared, sending people to Mission Beach and beyond to soak up the unseasonably warm sun.
Lee Caporally, who was visiting San Diego, said the heat was a welcome surprise.
"I looked at my iPhone, it's like 87 degrees, it's amazing, we love it," Caporally said.
For residents like Ann Yang, the day was a rare treat after weeks of cooler weather.
"This is the perfect weather. I think the past few weeks it's been around the 60's 70's, but today it's perfect beach weather, and everyone is out enjoying the sun," Yang said.
The warm weather also gave local businesses a boost. At Hamel's Surf Shop in Mission Beach, manager Skyler McManus said the sudden rush of customers was unexpected but welcome.
"I mean, we're a little understaffed for the amount of people walking in and everything, but we're managing getting to everybody," McManus said.
McManus said the dramatic shift in weather, from freezing temperatures and rain just weeks ago, caught even the shop off guard.
"It was freezing one week and then rain and all that, and now it feels like it's a summer day, so we're getting the flow from that," McManus said. "It's giving us a little preview of what it's going to be like in the summer."
For many, the day was simply about making the most of the moment — whether that meant a stroll along the waterfront or a spontaneous shopping trip.
Caporally summed up the spirit of the day.
"I tell my granddaughter every time we're close to the ocean, we hit the water," Caporally said.
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