You may have noticed that it’s a bit nippy out there these last couple of days. In fact, several areas around Los Angeles have been hovering at or near freezing. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health even issued an official cold weather alert for several areas, which will remain in place until Friday.
Rich Thompson, a National Weather Service meteorologist, explained to L.A. Weekly that the cold is not unusual following the type of rain storms that have been making their way across the region, which can bring fronts of cold air along with dense cloud cover.
In Downtown L.A., overnight lows have been plunging to the low 40s, though staying on the warm side of freezing. The last time an actual freezing temperature was recorded in DTLA was back on January 29, 1979. However, around the Antelope Valley, Santa Clarita, Pomona and nearby mountain areas this week, the temperatures and wind chill factors have been dipping below the freezing point. The chief of L.A.’s health department, Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, has been encouraging vulnerable individuals to seek shelter. That includes the elderly, people with health problems and, in particular, the city’s homeless population.
Cold temperatures can be devastating to those without homes, so the county has established a winter seasonal shelter network that offers overnight housing, meals and other social services to those in need. A transportation system has also been set up to transport people to the shelters. If you’re concerned about someone in your neighborhood needing assistance, there is a hotline available at 800-548-6047.
Want more? Sign up here to stay in the know.