The Freeze Is On in Valleys

Unusually cold temperatures and strong winds continued throughout the San Fernando Valley on Tuesday, prompting freeze warnings and potentially unsafe road conditions. Warmer weather should arrive by Christmas, forecasters said.

Temperatures in the low 30s blanketed the Southland, dropping as low as 9 degrees Tuesday morning in Lancaster, said Wes Etheredge, a meteorologist with WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasting services for The Times. A freeze warning was in effect Tuesday and another warning will be in place in the San Fernando and Antelope valleys between 2 and 8 a.m. today, Etheredge said.

The temperature drop is due to a jet stream that brought cold air from the north. More high winds and low temperatures are expected today and Thursday morning, although it will be sunny and warmer in the afternoon.

Winds of up to 25 mph also roared through passes and canyons. On the freeways, the California Highway Patrol was worried about high winds hitting trucks and other large vehicles.

“We’re concerned about motor homes because winds can be ferocious,” CHP Officer Bob Granieri said. But no weather-related accidents were reported, he said.

On the Ventura Freeway, the cold prompted Granieri to issue a “black ice” advisory Tuesday morning. The condition results when water turns into a dark icy substance on the asphalt, causing drivers to lose traction and control, he said.

CHP officers noticed that gutter water was being tracked by cars on the De Soto Avenue eastbound onramp and were concerned it could freeze and cause tire slippage, said Caltrans spokesman Joe Brazile. A Caltrans crew applied 300 pounds of sand on the onramp, he said.