High Winds Bring a Chill to Southland

Cold winds blew hard across Southern California on Monday, forcing residents to bundle up and authorities to issue high-wind warnings for local freeways.

Following a day of subfreezing wind-chill temperatures in the mountains on Monday, a frosty night was forecast, with temperatures predicted to drop into the 30s and wind chills of 10 to 20 degrees below zero expected, National Weather Service forecasters said.

The cold throughout Southern California was made worse by winds clocked at 35 mph, with gusts of more than 50 mph in the mountains, deserts and valleys in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

Even as the winds diminished Monday night, temperatures continued to drop to below freezing in some areas.

Monday’s high winds were the result of a high-pressure system over Utah and a low-pressure system hovering above northern Mexico and southern Arizona that caused accelerated air to blow across Southern California, said John Sherwin, a meteorologist with WeatherData Inc., which provides forecast information to The Times.

The National Weather Service cautioned motorists, especially those with high-profile vehicles and those towing trailers, to be prepared for sudden strong crosswinds along freeways in the mountains and valleys of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

Forecasters expected the high winds to end this afternoon.

Today’s high temperatures are expected to be 63 in Burbank and Woodland Hills, 62 in Van Nuys and Chatsworth, 56 in Newhall and 53 in Lancaster, Sherwin said.