Frigid Temps Prompt Cold Weather Alert

With frigid temperatures in the forecast for some areas, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued a cold weather alert Monday, urging residents to take precautions against the dipping temperatures.

The alert will be in effect Monday night in the Woodland Hills and Santa Clarita Valley areas; through Tuesday in the Pomona Valley and Los Angeles County mountains; and through Thursday in the Antelope Valley.

“Children, the elderly and people with disabilities or special medical needs are especially vulnerable during such cold snaps,” said Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, the county’s interim health officer. “Extra precaution should be taken to ensure they don’t get too cold when they are outside.

“There are places where people can go to stay warm, such as shelters or other public facilities. We also want to remind people not to use stoves, barbecues or ovens to heat their homes due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.”

Seniors and other people in need of a place to keep warm can visit a winter shelter. A list of locations is available online through the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority website at www.lahsa.org/winter_shelter_program, or by calling the 211 information line.

Health officials urged residents to protect themselves and others from the cold by:

-- dressing in layers of warm clothing;

-- wearing a hat, scarves, gloves and socks to protect extremities;

-- offering help to neighbors without adequate heat;

-- checking on senior citizens or others who are ill; and

-- bringing pets inside overnight.

Overnight lows are expected to be generally in the 40s across much of the Southland, according to the National Weather Service, but temperatures will drop into the 20s in areas such as Lancaster and Palmdale.

City News Service