Cold Spell Hits Hard Across San Gabriel Valley Valentine's Week

SAN GABRIEL VALLEY, CA - Valentine's week began with a heavy freeze and strong winds over much of the Southland, Monday morning.

In Los Angeles County, gusts of 35 miles per hour howled across San Gabriel and Santa Monica mountains, the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys, and the Los Angeles coastal zone, which consists of beach cities, metropolitan Los Angeles, Downtown L.A., and the Hollywood Hills.

Northwest to north winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour gusting to 50 mph buffeted across the San Gabriels but was blowing at 15-25 mph with 40-mph gusts in the valleys.

Santa Clarita Valley woke to a frost warning, as did the the San Fernando Valley and the Santa Monica Mountains. Early morning drivers in the San Gabriel Mountains in L.A. and Ventura counties experienced challenging road conditions and closures along Interstate 5 at the Grapevine in the San Gabriel Mountains, which was closed both directions overnight due to snow and ice.

These frosty overnight temperatures will persist at least through Sunday, according to an extended National Weather Service forecast.

On Monday, the NWS forecast sunny weather and highs of 42 degrees on Mount Wilson; 50 in Lancaster; 52 in Palmdale; 57 in Saugus, Avalon and at LAX; 58 in Long Beach and Pasadena; and 59 in Downtown L.A, San Gabriel, Burbank, and Woodland Hills. No L.A County community was forecast even to reach 60 Monday. Tuesday's highs will be a few degrees higher Tuesday amid partly cloudy skies, then revert roughly to Monday's temperatures amid rain Wednesday, followed by showers Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Orange County woke to sunny skies and chilly temperatures. Residents can expect highs of 40 on Santiago Peak; 52 on Ortega Canyon at 2,600 feet; 55 in Fremont Canyon; 56 in Trabuco Canyon; 57 in San Clemente; 58 in Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and Yorba Linda; 59 in Mission Viejo; and 61 in Fullerton, Anaheim and Irvine.

Temperatures will be a little higher Tuesday amid partly cloudy skies, then fall back a few degrees, with rain forecast Wednesday and Thursday, Valentine's Day. Expect mostly cloudy skies Friday and Saturday and showers Sunday.

City News Service, with a contribution by Patch Editor Ashley Ludwig

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