Easter Weekend Off to Cold Start

Unusual cold and high winds marred the first day of Easter weekend Saturday, especially for three Vista men who were knocked off their small motorboat in high surf off Dana Point’s Salt Creek Beach.

Gusts along the shore and inland to Santa Ana hit 20 to 25 mph, officials said, and waves reached three feet by afternoon, prompting yellow hazard flags and a small-craft advisory. By nightfall, a gale-force wind warning was issued, indicating winds over 50 mph along the coast were possible.

Officials reported downed power lines around Orange County all evening, closing some streets but causing no major damage or injuries.

Southern California Edison Co. spokesman Paul Klein reported outages in Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa and Newport Beach. The largest occurred in an Orange neighborhood about 6:15 p.m. and affected 1,500 customers. All but 50 had service returned in about an hour, Klein said.

In Dana Point, authorities responded to a report about 12:30 p.m. that three men were thrown from a 23-foot boat after its engine died. The boat then capsized. No one was injured.

Today should bring 25-30 mph winds by afternoon and waves up to four feet. Santa Ana highs could reach the 60s, with lows in the 40s.

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Times photographer Al Schaben contributed to this report.