Those planning on visiting the Los Angeles County mountain areas this week should do so with caution.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health extended its Cold Weather Alert for the mountain areas until Friday due to expected low temperatures in the areas.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), wind chill temperatures for the area are expected to fall below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Los Angeles County Interim Health Officer Jeffrey Gunzenhauser first announced the Cold Weather Alert for the Los Angeles Mountain areas and Antelope Valley Dec. 30 due to forecasted cold temperatures and winds.
“Children, the elderly, and people with disabilities or special medical needs are especially vulnerable during such cold snaps. Extra precaution should be taken to ensure they don’t get too cold when they are outside,” Gunzenhauser said in a press release.
To protect against the cold, the Department of Public Health recommends dressing in layers of warm clothing and protecting extremities, offering to help those with limited access to heat, bringing pets indoors during cold days and overnight, and installing a carbon monoxide detector in home to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
“We also want to remind people not to use stoves, barbeques or ovens to heat their homes due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning,” Gunzenhauser said in a press release. “There are places where people can go to stay warm, such as shelters or other public facilities.”
In Santa Clarita, the NWS expects lows to be in the high-40s Wednesday and Thursday and low-50s Friday.
Those seeking shelter from the cold in the Santa Clarita Valley can visit Bridge to Home’s Winter Shelter, a 60-bed shelter open daily from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. until mid-March.
The Winter Shelter is located at 23031 Drayton Street in Santa Clarita and can be reached at 661-388-0086.
[email protected]
661-287-5575
On Twitter as @_ChristinaCox_
