Yes, It Really Was Cold This Week. Here's Where The Chilly Temps Broke Records

Gillian Morán Pérez is an associate producer for LAist’s early All Things Considered show.

Published Feb 17, 2023 8:19 AM

A map of Southern California is shaded in yellow, green and blue tones reflecting low temperatures ranging from 54 to 21 degrees throughout the region.

It's been a chilly week so far, with the National Weather Service reporting a cold front broke record low temperatures in Southern California.

Where were the records broken?

Lancaster "set their all time record low temperatures for yesterday of 18 degrees which broke the old record of 21 degrees that was set back in 2006," said Richard Thompson, a NWS meteorologist.

But they aren't the only ones to see freezing temperatures.

Fullerton also saw record low temperatures dropping to 39 degrees on Wednesday, tying a record set back in 2009.

But with cloud coverage coming in overnight, Lancaster will get some relief raising temperatures back up to 50 degrees.

Because of the cold system there was a frost advisory in effect until 8 a.m. Friday for Santa Clarita and the San Fernando Valley areas.

Why Southern Californians feel so cold

It's not just in your head. Read: Here’s Why Cold Weather Feels Colder In LA

Forecast for next week

The National Weather Service predicts 10% chance of rain in Southern California starting this coming Thursday. We could see up to two inches of rainfall.

Tips if you're worried about heating bills

Tips

State law requires residential units to have heating systems that can keep indoor temperatures at a minimum of 70 degrees. That means every dwelling unit and guest room offered for rent or lease should offer heating equipment, usually central air conditioning (A/C) or a wall heater. — Caitlin Hernández

Use heat smartly to save money: Cranking things like the A/C and wall heaters can be expensive. If money is tight, be judicious about how and when you use your utilities. For example, only use heaters at night or only set the thermostat to around 70 degrees.

Open and close those vents: If you have central A/C, look at where the vents are around your home. Are any open in places where you don’t stay long? Practice opening and closing those so warm air only goes where you need it (most vents should have a small toggle lever). Humidifiers can also help you warm things up — and it’s useful to add moisture into our dry air.

Adjust your wall heaters: If you have a wall heater, you can change the output by adjusting the knob (usually at the bottom). Since wall heaters can only warm the areas where they’re placed, it’s essential to close doors to rooms you won’t be in so hot air doesn’t get wasted.

Turn on your ceiling fan (really): If you have a ceiling fan, try turning it on. This sounds counterintuitive, but there’s science behind it. The direction a fan turns can push air in different directions, and since hot air floats up, you’ll want to move that around. Your fan should spin clockwise to create an updraft to circulate. Not all fans will have this option, though.