Colder temperatures to give way to warm Christmas Day in Southern California
A winter chill is expected to hang over Southern California through Wednesday, but it will give way to an unseasonably warm Christmas Day, according to official forecasts.
Shorts may be in order for holiday events over the weekend.
Temperatures will gradually warm up this week and should be 10 degrees warmer by Christmas Day, according to meteorologist David Sweet with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
“Santa is going to have make other plans for arriving by sled,” Sweet said. “It’ll be pleasantly warm.”
Despite some improvements in snowpack and soil moisture, experts warn that California still has a long way to go to truly reverse its historic dry streak.
But before the heat arrives, overnight lows will dip into the upper 20s and low 30s in the Antelope Valley on Monday and Tuesday. Temperatures will reach the mid-40s overnight closer toward downtown Los Angeles and the mid- to upper 60s in the daytime, according to the National Weather Service.
A cold weather alert will be in effect for several areas of L.A. County through the middle of the week, including Mt. Wilson and the Santa Clarita Valley through Tuesday, and Lancaster through Wednesday, according to the Department of Public Health. Anyone braving the overnight cold should dress in layers and check on family members or neighbors with limited mobility and limited access to heat.
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has a winter shelter program in effect for people who need shelter. Information about the service can be found at lahsa.org/winter-shelter or by calling 211 from any landline or mobile phone. People seeking to participate in the winter shelter program must be 18 and experiencing homelessness. Pets and emotional support animals are welcome, and many county shelters provide three meals a day, officials said.
People caught in the cold can especially feel overlooked during the holidays, said Lorena Sanchez, a Downtown Women’s Center spokesperson.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass says the ‘Inside Safe’ program will move homeless people indoors voluntarily.
“Whether or not you’re unhoused, the holidays are a tricky time for us all,” Sanchez said.
Making the smallest gesture to someone living on the street can go a long way, including just making eye contact and acknowledging that person, Sanchez said.
In response to the winter cold, the Downtown Women’s Center has expanded its hours at its day center for residents of skid row in downtown L.A. The center passed out sleeping bags and tents to those that cannot secure a shelter bed during this time of year and it’s also in the midst of collecting winter coats, scarves and other essentials.
“This time of year, we’re in desperate need of coats,” Sanchez said.
While other expensive cities have excelled at using a new federal program to get vulnerable families off the streets, San Francisco hasn’t kept up.
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