Cold front will give way to warmer weather this week, forecasters say
Southern Californians tired of frigid weather can expect warmer conditions starting Sunday afternoon and lasting though the middle of the week, officials at the National Weather Service said.
An area of high pressure will bring warm air across the southern half of the state, driving temperatures into the upper 60s – normal for this time of year, NWS meteorologist David Sweet said. Temperatures will continue to climb into the 70s between Monday and Wednesday, before returning to normal by the end of the week, Sweet said.
Some parts of the Southland experienced record-low temperatures over the holidays. Los Angeles International Airport set a record low of 36 degrees on New Year’s Day, two degrees colder than the same day in 1972.
Despite concerns that the 126th Rose Parade might be the coldest since 1952 -- when the thermometer dropped to a brisk 32 degrees in Pasadena -- the mercury this year dropped only to 36, weather officials said.
The cold front, which originated out of Alberta, Canada, before descending on Southern California, brought heavy snow to mountain areas, stranding hundreds of drivers. The extreme weather included powerful winds that resulted in two deaths last week on Catalina Island.
Sweet said chilly Angelenos can expect temperatures in downtown L.A. to begin rising around 2 p.m. At about 10 a.m., the temperature there registered a brisk 51 degrees.
Follow @MattStevensLAT for Westside coverage and breaking news
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