Growers, Homeless Brace for Coldest Snap of Winter

Snowflakes fell from Mt. Washington to Brentwood on Saturday as the coldest temperatures of the season sent the homeless to special city shelters, kept homeowners busy covering pansies with plastic sheets and brought frost warnings to fruit growers in outlying valleys.

The snow level was expected to drop to 2,000 feet overnight as a weak weather disturbance moved through Southern California, bringing a second night of rain--and possibly snow showers--and freezing temperatures to wind-sheltered valleys.

A spokesman for WeatherData Inc., the private weather service that provides forecasts for The Times, said the showers and cold should move out of the area today as the skies clear and winds increase. Gusts near the canyons could reach 25 m.p.h.

Temperatures Saturday night in valleys sheltered from the winds were expected to drop into the high 20s or low 30s, meaning fruit crops in those areas faced frost dangers. Areas of calm winds record lower temperatures than those with stiffer breezes.

Snowflakes were sighted in a number of Los Angeles County communities Saturday morning, including Sherman Oaks and Van Nuys. However, they disappeared as they touched the ground. No snow was recorded in downtown Los Angeles, which saw its last flurries in 1949.

The low temperature early Saturday at the Los Angeles Civic Center was 35 degrees, the coldest morning so far this winter.

Homeless shelters were opened throughout the weekend at the Downey, Central, Elysian Park and Elysian Valley recreation centers. Shelter also was available at the National Guard armories in Van Nuys and West Los Angeles. There was no estimate of how many homeless sought temporary housing.