Cool Days, Even Colder Nights Are on the Way

Friday wasn’t the coldest day Southern California ever had, but with stiff breezes blowing down off new snow on the mountains, it was no scorcher.

Chilly, 25-m.p.h. northeast gusts in coastal areas eased by evening, giving weekend temperatures a chance to rise slightly--but not much--from Friday’s Los Angeles Civic Center high of 54 degrees.

Nights will continue to be cold through the weekend with lows in the 30s and 40s, according to the National Weather Service.

In Orange County, where temperatures were expected to dip into the low 40s, homeless shelters were opened Friday night in Fullerton, Santa Ana and Mission Viejo, said Scott Mather, chairman of the Orange County Homeless Task Force.

More than 100 homeless people spent the night at the First Presbyterian Church of Fullerton, more than 100 others were sheltered at the First Presbyterian Church of Santa Ana, and about 20 homeless arrived at a shelter provided at the Shepherd of the Hill United Methodist Church in Mission Viejo, Mather said.

The churches offered their facilities this week while National Guard armories in Santa Ana and Fullerton were unavailable because of special training exercises.

Mather said the shelters would remain open as long as it is cold enough. Under terms set by the state, the armories can be opened for the homeless when temperatures dip to 40 degrees in dry weather, or to 50 degrees in rainy weather.

Today’s outlook is for some sunshine and partial cloudiness, but Dave Beusterien, meteorologist for WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts to The Times, said a weak upper-level storm system in Northern California means “a slight chance” of showers today.

He conceded the system might miss the Southland altogether. In any event, he said, it should be out of the area by tonight, leaving Sunday clear.