High winds, freezing weather expected in Southern California

Heavy winds, including a gust of 92 miles per hour near Point Mugu, blew across Southern California on Monday and were expected to continue through the night, forecasters said.

Also, freezing temperatures are expected across a number of inland valley areas sheltered from the winds, according to the National Weather Service.

The high winds caused officials to close the Cal State San Bernardino campus Monday afternoon, a school spokesman said. Officials did not say when the campus would reopen.

High wind warnings were issued by the Weather Service through 4 a.m. Tuesday. The warnings are issued when gusts are 58 mph or greater and sustained winds are at least 40 mph, said Scott Sukup, a meteorologist with the agency’s Oxnard office.

Gusts reached 77 mph in San Fernando, 72 mph on a peak above Fillmore in Ventura County and 62 mph near Castaic Lake in Los Angeles County, according to the Weather Service. The 92 mph gust was reported at Laguna Peak about 1,500 feet above Point Mugu.

The agency said the winds could affect drivers in high-profile vehicles and knock down trees and power lines.

Freeze warnings were issued for valley areas sheltered from the winds from Santa Barbara County to Los Angeles County. Temperatures in the coldest areas could drop to the upper 20s. In coastal areas, temperatures in the low to mid-40s were expected, the weather service said.

Shortly before 8 p.m Monday, it was 24 degrees at Fox Airfield in Lancaster, 49 degrees at Huntington Beach and 48 degrees in downtown Los Angeles.

Sukup said the region would begin to experience a warmup, with temperatures in the Los Angeles area reaching the mid-70s by the weekend.

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robert.lopez@latimes.com