It's Beginning To Feel Like Winter: Temperatures Plummet Across Southland
GORMAN (CBSLA) — Angelenos were all bundled up Monday thanks to a drastic shift from the heat which enveloped the Southland to a bitter cold which brought freezing temperatures and the first snowfall of the season.
A hard freeze warning was in effect overnight Sunday for the Antelope Valley -- including the cities of Palmdale and Lancaster -- due to temperatures expected to drop as low as 26 degrees.
Between one and two inches of snow were expected in elevations above 4,000 feet. The cold morning lows, frost advisories and freeze warnings were expected to continue throughout the first half of this week.
"Damage to outdoor plumbing possible," the National Weather Service Expect wrote. "Severe damage to crops or sensitive vegetation, and harm to unprotected pets or livestock."
The wintry blast is causing problems for restaurants in the Antelope Valley who are not allowed to have customers dine inside because of COVID-19 regulations. They have placed heat lamps outside, but for many customers, that is not enough.
"So the customer, they wanted to come inside, but we're not able to do that," said Miguel Flores, owner of the Ranch House Restaurant in Gorman.
Gorman is about three miles from Kern County, which is allowing 25% capacity inside restaurants because it is in the red tier of California's four-tiered coronavirus metric system. However, Los Angeles County is in the purple tier, the lowest, and is not allowing any indoor dining.
Meanwhile, all schools in the Big Bear Unified School District were closed Monday due to the snow.
Traffic was moving smoothly along the 5 Freeway Monday morning through the Grapevine. However, on Sunday, California Highway Patrol officers had to escort drivers through the area because of snow and ice.
The wild weather swing also came with heavy winds Sunday that toppled trees in several areas including Westchester, Bell Gardens and Irvine. In South Los Angeles, a tree actually fell onto an apartment building and two cars, but there were no serious injuries.
A hail storm also caught residents by surprise in Rancho Cucamonga.
The winds had died down Monday, but the bitter cold overnight temperatures were expected to remain.
