Denial's not just a river in Egypt, goes the old line. It's also the state of mind of some area residents faced with the sudden onset of fall temperatures.
As the mercury dipped to a low of 41 yesterday, some Georgetown strollers still clung to T-shirts and shorts as other, perhaps more sensible, walkers gave in to the fashion of fall, donning flannel and sweaters.
On the Mall, Zelalem Habteselassie, 32, hopped to keep warm, waiting for friends to play soccer.
'It's getting cold. Probably the next two weeks it will get colder. I wish summer would continue,' said the Ethiopian native, who now lives in the District. 'I don't like to wear warm, heavy clothes.'
He may get a break tomorrow, when the high is expected to reach the low 70s.
Yesterday's high was only 61, and lows overnight were expected to dip into the upper 30s in some outlying suburbs and to about 40 in the District. The National Weather Service was predicting a high today in the 60s under mostly sunny skies.
The cold snap was not particularly unusual, and it didn't come near the record for Oct. 5, which is 37, recorded in 1935.
But the cold, along with the large amount of rain that's fallen on the region this year, should combine for a unusually colorful fall. The Weather Service said the 38.28 inches of rain this year is 8.51 inches above normal.
But the prospect of a prime fall to watch the leaves change did little to cheer D.C. resident Deborah Douglas, an elementary school teacher who was on the Mall wrapped in a sweater and sweat pants yesterday.
'I don't like fall, I don't like winter weather,' said Miss Douglas, for whom autumn is less about changing leaves and more about cold weather and high heating bills.
Salesmen at Outer Limits, a Georgetown sporting-goods store, like the onset of fall for their own reasons - autumn means big-ticket sales. Sandals, a summer staple, cost $10 to $50, the salesmen said, while a pair of Timberland boots goes for $140 to $160.
But Sam, a salesman who declined to give his last name, said he also enjoys the coming of fall for aesthetic reasons.
'I like the cool weather, the color of the sky too. It's not as shiny anymore,' said Sam. 'I can deal with cold weather. Summer, it's too hot. And I hate to sweat.'
His opinion was echoed by tourists out enjoying yesterday on the Mall.
'Slight crisp air and beautiful sunshine. It's exactly what you need,' said Paul MacLeish, 39, who was visiting from Florida. 'Even from a guy who lives in Florida, this weather's gorgeous. Any weather where it's sunny and you have to wear a sweater, it's perfect.'
