Cooler Weather Keeps Memorial Day Weekend Crowds At Bay Sunday In Ocean City, Maryland
OCEAN CITY, Md. (WJZ) -- The crowds that flocked to the beach and boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland, for the Memorial Day weekend seemed to subside Sunday morning as temperatures hovered in the low to mid-50s.
By the afternoon, more visitors had ventured out, many wearing sweatshirts and some wearing masks.
A look at the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland this afternoon. It's much cooler than yesterday and the sun hasn't come out. @wjz pic.twitter.com/fjLiuI4h7H
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) May 24, 2020
Despite the drop in temperatures and cloudy skies, lifeguard training continued on the beach. The prospective lifeguards sprinted up and down the beach during a pre-employment physical screening as a small number of onlookers cheered them on.
It was a far cry from the large number of beachgoers who headed out to enjoy the long weekend on Saturday, helped along by temperatures in the mid-70s and sunny skies.
READ MORE: Ocean City, Maryland, Boardwalk Packed Saturday During Memorial Day Weekend
By mid-afternoon Saturday, the boardwalk was packed. While the Ocean City Police Department did not immediately have a number of citations that have been issued since the beach and boardwalk reopened two weeks ago, they said they've seen a lot of people voluntarily complying with social distancing guidelines.
A look at the Ocean City, Maryland boardwalk this afternoon. The sunny weather brought out the people. Masks are encouraged but not required. @wjz #memorialdayweekend2020 pic.twitter.com/rK3gCfoZNB
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) May 23, 2020
Wearing masks is recommended but not required for beachgoers; groups of ten or more, though, are not allowed.
Even with Saturday's pleasant weather, the coronavirus pandemic kept the number of visitors to the popular beach town below normal for the unofficial start of summer.
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Despite that, the pandemic could turn out to benefit Ocean City in the long run as fewer people travel long distances by plane.
"We're practicing social distancing, we're recommending that people wear their masks," Mayor Rick Meehan said Friday. "You know we're trying to get our message out for people to be courteous to others and to take responsibility for their actions and to make sure everybody can comply with the regulations."
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.