Biting temperatures, wind chills lead to cold weather alert in parts of L.A. County

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has issued cold weather alerts for parts of the county this week because of concerns about frigid temperatures and biting wind chills.

A cold weather alert is in effect from Wednesday until Friday for the Santa Clarita Valley. Lancaster and Mount Wilson are under a cold weather alert through Sunday.

Daytime and overnight temperatures in the three areas are predicted to be anywhere from 5 to 10 degrees below normal, according to the National Weather Service. The Santa Clarita Valley could drop to the mid- to upper 30s Wednesday night, while Antelope Valley could plunge to the low 20s to low 30s. Mount Wilson is predicted to be in the low to mid-30s and 40s at the lower elevations, and around the mid-20s to 30 degrees near the peaks.

Children, senior citizens and people with disabilities or special needs are particularly vulnerable during cold weather events, Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County’s health officer, said in a statement.

Residents are advised to dress warmly and wear layers, check in on at-risk family members and friends, take special care of pets and stay indoors if possible. Officials are reminding Angelenos in the affected areas not to use stoves, barbecues and ovens as heating sources because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has a Winter Shelter Program available for those who need shelter, the county public health office said.