Cool Snap Brings Winter Weather To Baldwin Park, SGV

BALDWIN PARK, CA — It's beginning to feel more like the holidays in Orange County. Though Thanksgiving temperatures were for the record books, a Monday cold front brought gusty winds and some rain to southern California, according to National Weather Service forecasters.

The pattern is typical for this time of the year, said NWS meteorologist Rich Thompson, adding that Monday's temperatures will be 3-5 degrees below normal.

"A cold air mass will settle into the interior valleys and wind- sheltered areas on Monday night, bringing the possibility of frost or freezing overnight temperatures," according to an NWS statement.

In the meantime, gusty winds are expected, along with showers, with the chance of measurable precipitation in Los Angeles and Orange counties set at 40 percent, according to the NWS.

Temperatures this week will generally be in the low 70s or below Monday in both L.A. and Orange counties.

The NWS forecast mostly cloudy skies in L.A. County Monday, along with highs of 58 on Mount Wilson; 61 in Palmdale and Lancaster; 63 in Claremont; 64 in Saugus; 66 in Avalon and Glendora; 67 in Downtown L.A., Diamond Bar and Burbank; and 68 in Arcadia, Long Beach, Pasadena, San Gabriel, Woodland Hills and at LAX; 69 in Baldwin Park.

Partly cloudy skies were forecast in Orange County, with highs of 63 in San Clemente; 64 in Aliso Viejo, Laguna Beach and Trabuco Canyon; 65 in Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Seal Beach and Rancho Santa Margarita; 66 in Lake Forest and Fountain Valley; 67 in Irvine, San Juan Capistrano and Yorba Linda; 68 in Anaheim; and 69 in Fullerton and Los Alamitos.

Temperatures will rise to the mid and high 70s this week before falling back Saturday. By Sunday, they'll be roughly the same as Monday.

With overnight lows dropping to below freezing, especially in the Antelope Valley and San Gabriel Mountain areas, air quality Health officials have warned people not to use stoves, barbecues or ovens to heat their homes due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, and urged people to install carbon monoxide detectors in their homes.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include shortness of breath, headaches, muscle and joint pain, and nausea. Those suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning should be taken outside, into fresh air immediately, and should be taken to an emergency room for immediate medical treatment.

A hard freeze is possible for outdoor plants in the Antelope Valley and San Gabriel Mountains. On Monday, southwest winds of between 20 and 30 miles per hour were clocked, accompanied by 45- mph gusts. The winds shifted to the west late Monday morning, according to NWS statement.

Antelope Valley temperatures will likely fall to between 25 and 29 degrees for two or more hours late Monday evening and early Tuesday morning.

The NWS warned that a "hard freeze can burst exposed pipes and kill crops or sensitive vegetation. Extended exposure to cold can cause hypothermia, including to outdoor pets and livestock. Gusty winds will make driving difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles. Areas of blowing dust can suddenly and dangerously reduce visibility to near zero."

A wind advisory indicating winds or gusts of 35 mph in the Antelope Valley was posted from 4 Monday morning until 4 Monday afternoon. In the San Gabriel Mountains, the wind advisory will be in effect until 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Additionally, a hard freeze watch signaling temperatures of 28 degrees or less for at least two straight hours will be in force in the Antelope Valley from late Monday evening through Tuesday morning, according to the NWS.

"Protective measures to save to save outdoor plants may be needed," according to the weather service. "Vulnerable animals and pets should be kept indoors in a house or barn. Exposed pipes should be wrapped to keep them from bursting."

Ashley Ludwig Photo, Patch Staff