Thousands Still Without Power After Tuesday's Wild Winds
LOS ANGELES (AP) — More than 2,000 customers in L.A. and nearly 2,000 more in eastern L.A. County are still without power after strong winds swept across Southern California Tuesday, downing trees and power lines.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said crews were working Tuesday night to restore electricity to 2,300 customers, most of them in South Los Angeles with some 600 in the San Fernando Valley.
Southern California Edison says 1,795 customers are without power in West Covina 18 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
The utility company says winds pushed trees into power equipment in Inglewood and knocked out power for 610 customers.
Highs reached just the upper 50s and low 60s in most areas as northeast winds brought cold air to the region. Clear skies meant temperatures could drop rapidly overnight without a blanket of clouds to seal in warmth.
"We could have one of the coldest nights we've had yet this season," said meteorologist Eric Boldt of the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
Frost advisories and freeze warnings were issued from Wednesday night into Thursday morning for the mountains, deserts and inland valleys.
Overnight lows could drop into the high 30s in downtown Los Angeles, with record lows possible in the San Fernando Valley and the Antelope Valley high desert, where homeowners should consider bringing prized plants indoors, Boldt said.
In addition, the cold could threaten crops in agricultural areas.
The region was drenched by a storm earlier in the week and clouds could begin moving in again Thursday night as another round of wet weather approaches, Boldt said.
The previous storm gave way Tuesday to blustery winds that began to ease Wednesday, although gusts of 35 mph or more were recorded in mountains, valleys and along the coast. A 61 mph blast hit 4,140-foot-high Whitaker Peak in Angeles National Forest.
RELATED STORY: Cold, Blustery Weather Toppling Trees, Downing Power Lines
(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)ern California's mountain passes, and reached 45 mph in Beverly Hills and Malibu.)
