Plan to bundle up for Hollywood Christmas Parade

Those turning out Sunday evening for the 85th annual Hollywood Christmas Parade, featuring Olivia Newton-John as grand marshal, should plan to bundle up.

Newton-John will perform at a pre-parade concert, which will begin at 5 p.m. and features Cyndi Lauper, Kenny G, War and others. The parade itself starts at 6 p.m. at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Orange Drive.

“I would say definitely bundle up for that,” said Bonnie Bartling, a National Weather Service weather specialist. “It’s winter weather in L.A., in Southern California.”

The highs on the coasts and valleys are going to range from the high 50s to the low 60s, Bartling said. Mountains will be below 40 and the desert will be in the high 40s, Bartling said.

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While Saturday was about the rain, Sunday is “about wind and cold,” Bartling said. There is a continuing high-wind watch for the Antelope Valley, where gusts could reach 60 mph.

There are wind advisories out for the L.A. coast and valleys, with gusts anywhere from 40 to 45 mph.

“The story is all about the winds today,” Bartling said. “There are just scattered showers.”

Snow levels will drop to about 4,000 feet Sunday and as low as 3,500 feet by Sunday night, Bartling said. As much as an inch of snow could dust the Grapevine portion of Interstate 5 on Sunday night, she said.

The parade Sunday will travel along a 3.2-mile route, starting at Orange Drive and Hollywood Boulevard, heading east to Vine Street, then south and back west along Sunset Boulevard to Orange.

Grandstand seats along Hollywood Boulevard sold out earlier this month, but free curbside seating is available along the parade route, starting at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue and continuing along the parade route.

brittny.mejia@latimes.com

Twitter: @Brittny_Mejia

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