Cold weather in Southern California expected to continue this week

It’s been cold in Los Angeles, which means it’s time to break out the scarves, hats, parkas and gloves and dress up like Han Solo trekking across Hoth in “The Empire Strikes Back.�

Parts of Los Angeles will see overnight temperatures drop to around 40 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures in Santa Barbara County will plummet to the low 30s, which could result in damage to crops.

The cold snap is expected to last through the week, with freezing or near-freezing temperatures around dawn Wednesday and Thursday. Santa Ana winds in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and the Antelope Valley increase the fire risk Thursday and Friday, the weather service said.

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Reaching for all those extra layers makes sense, even when temperatures hover in the low 60s, forecasters said.

“A lot of that has to do with the low humidity,� said Emily Thornton, a meteorologist with the weather service in Oxnard. “Sea breezes come throughout the day and that can make it feel relatively cooler.�

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In winter coats and hats, Ziao Pham, left, and her sister Thoa Pham, both of Fountain Valley, walk on the Seal Beach Pier on Dec. 30.

  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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A body boarder heads across the sand and pier shadows in Seal Beach after riding small waves.

  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Bob Barnum of Seal Beach watches surfers.

  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Pedestrians are bundled up on the Seal Beach Pier.

  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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A commuter wrapped in warm clothing rushes for her train at a Metro Gold Line station on a very chilly morning in Pasadena on Dec. 29.

  (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Kimberly Lee, wrapped in warm clothing, heads to a Metro Gold Line station on a very chilly morning in Pasadena.

  (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Commuters at a Metro Gold Line station brace for the early-morning chilly weather in Pasadena.

  (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Commuters at a Metro Gold Line station brace for the early-morning chilly weather in Pasadena.

  (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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A homeless person, wrapped in layers of blankets and clothing, sleeps on a bench on the Lake Avenue bridge on a chilly morning in Pasadena.

  (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

“I just moved here from Tennessee and I have noticed it can feel pretty cold here,� she added.

Freeze warnings were in effect for Tuesday morning in the Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area and the San Fernando, San Gabriel and Santa Clarita valleys, the National Weather Service said. A frost advisory was also in effect in Ventura County.

There is a chance of rain early next week, forecasters said. No word on whether any tauntaun carcasses are available to climb into to keep from freezing.

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