Los Angeles County health officials issue cold weather alert as temperatures plummet – The West Coast is being hit by a winter storm that has many preparing for extreme cold.
A cold weather alert was issued for southern and central California on Sunday, and a winter storm watch was issued for Northern California as a strong cold blast blows in from the Pacific Ocean.
As the cold front moves east, temperatures in parts of Northern California are expected to plunge well below zero, with highs of less than 30 degrees expected in some areas. The low temperatures could rise to 30 degrees and stay that low, particularly in the mountains, and lows at least 20 degrees could be recorded in parts of San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties, according to the National Weather Office.
Even in the middle of winter, it’s still the coldest I’ve ever been,” said Dan Scott, who was visiting from New York and trying to find his way to California, at the start of a trip to see the San Francisco Giants play.
The coldest temperature he’s ever measured in a car was about 10 degrees, he said. He’s been there a few times, but this was his first trip to northern California.
“It’s been so cold, that I couldn’t drink the water down by the lake. I’ve had to drink cold water I’ve brought from New York,” Scott said.
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles recorded the coldest temperature in Los Angeles County in February 2012, when the mercury was 9 degrees, according to NWS data.
The NWS issued the cold weather alert for the Sierra Nevada range, which includes Mammoth Mountain in the San Bernardino Mountains and the Angeles National Forest in the Inyo Mountains, while a winter storm watch was issued for the central and northern parts of the state.
“We won’t be able to provide details about when these alerts become true until they are upgraded to a full winter storm warning,” said Robert Fazio, meteorologist for the National Weather Service.
