Cold weather alert issued for parts of L.A., but Christmas will be warm and dry

With wind-chill temperatures expected to fall below 32 degrees, Los Angeles public health officials issued a cold weather alert Saturday to warn residents to bundle up, check on loved ones and bring pets inside. The chilly conditions will ease up midweek across the region, with a warming trend driving temperatures well above average for the Christmas weekend.

The National Weather Service is forecasting temperatures to drop below freezing in Lancaster beginning tonight, with Mt. Wilson and the Santa Clara Valley expected to see particularly cold conditions Monday.

“Children, the elderly, and people with disabilities or special medical needs are especially vulnerable during cold weather,� said Dr. Muntu Davis, the health officer for Los Angeles County, in a statement. “Extra precaution should be taken to ensure they don’t get too cold when they are outside.�

“There are places where people can go to stay warm, such as shelters or other public facilities. We also want to remind people not to use stoves, barbecues or ovens to heat their homes due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.�

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include shortness of breath, headaches, muscle and joint pain and nausea. Exposure to high levels of the odorless gas can be deadly within minutes.

The L.A. County Department of Public Health urged residents to check on family, friends and neighbors, particularly seniors, those who are ill or have limited mobility, and people with insufficient heating. Pets should be brought inside overnight, county officials warned. Anyone venturing outside in the chilly weather is encouraged to dress in layers, protecting their head, hands and feet from the cold.

A winter shelter program is available through the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority for those who need a warm and dry place to stay. Locations and transportation information are online at www.lahsa.org or by calling the L.A. County information line at 211.

“It’s been a pretty cold week for Los Angeles County,� said National Weather Service meteorologist David Gomberg.

Most of the valley areas can expect overnight temperatures in the mid-30s to lower 40s, while L.A. Metro areas will hover around 45 degrees. Daytime temperatures in those areas Sunday and Monday will be fairly normal for this time of year, Gomberg said, in the 60s. Next weekend, he said, Christmas will bring in a warming trend, with temperatures in the mid- to upper 70s.

“Normally, our averages are more low to mid-60s,� Gomberg said. “We could be seeing temperatures 10 degrees above normal and fairly dry conditions as well.�