Bundle Up, Cold Weather Alert Extended Through Friday

With overnight temperatures forecast to dip below freezing in some areas, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Monday extended a cold weather alert through Friday.

Wind chill temperatures below 32 degrees are expected in the Antelope, Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys as well as the Pomona and other county mountain areas, officials said.

Temperatures at or below freezing are also expected in other wind- protected valley areas, along with portions of the coastal area, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters issued a wind advisory for the Santa Monica Mountains, effective from 6 p.m. through noon Tuesday, and a frost advisory, effective from midnight through 9 a.m. Tuesday.

“Children, the elderly and people with disabilities or special medical needs area especially vulnerable during such cold snaps. Extra precaution should be taken to ensure they don’t get too cold when they are outside,” Los Angeles County Interim Health Officer Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser said. “There are places where people can go to stay warm, such as shelters or other public facilities.”

Gunzenhauser also warned against the use of stoves, barbecues or ovens to heat their homes “due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.”

Residents were also advised to bring pets inside, shelter livestock and protect sensitive plants.

Information on temporary shelters online at the health department’s website at www.lahsa.org.

Click on the site’s “get help” tab, then “winter shelter.”

--City News Service, photo via the NWS