Cold, windy conditions expected to give way to warmer temperatures in Southern California
Cold and windy conditions Sunday night and early Monday led to downed trees in Los Angeles County and snow delays on the 5 Freeway through the Grapevine.
The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory in effect from 10 p.m. Monday to 1 p.m. Tuesday for several mountain and valley regions in Southern California as well as the Malibu coast. Cities covered by the advisory included Santa Clarita, Thousand Oaks and Northridge.
Gusty winds up to 50 mph “will blow around unsecured objects and make driving difficult,” the weather service said. The agency advised people to drive carefully and secure outdoor objects that could be blown away.
January storms provided California with much-needed rain, but water officials say it would be premature to loosen drought restrictions.
For the rest of the week, the weather should be warmer and milder, and winds calmer, according to forecasters.
The California Highway Patrol escorted traffic over the Grapevine due to snow on Sunday night, Caltrans said in a tweet.
High winds were detected throughout Southern California, including gusts of 40 mph at Point Vicente in Rancho Palos Verdes and 35 mph at Los Angeles’ Franklin Canyon, according to data from the National Weather Service.
There were reports of trees falling in Palms, Santa Monica and Hollywood overnight, with several cars damaged.
The storms hitting California threaten to blow a tree limb into your home or car. Who pays for the damage will depend on where the tree was located, what condition it was in and what kind of insurance you have.
Temperatures going forward could be “closer to normal or maybe a little higher than normal,” said Joe Sirard, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
This week’s forecast shows a high of 79 degrees Thursday in Los Angeles, with lows around 50 and a chance of rain Saturday.
In Orange County, temperatures are expected to be similar, but high winds may continue through Tuesday.
The forecast for the Inland Empire was for high winds Monday and Tuesday nights and lows in the 30s.
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