LAist relies on your reader support, not paywalls.
Freely accessible local news is vital. Please power our reporters and help keep us independent with a donation today.
Photos: Downed Trees & Power Lines After Wind Gusts Whip Through SoCal
Downed power line in the parking lot of Starbucks in Mid-Wilshire (Photo courtesy of Nick Stern)
While we were all bundling up last night as winds were whipping through Southern California, the gusts blew over several trees and power lines, damaging cars.
The same cold front that caused a tornado to twist through Stanislaus County in Central California moved to Southern California, bringing up to 60 mph gusts through Los Angeles, according to ABC 7.
A tree fell over a car that was occupied by a person in South Los Angeles in the 2600 block of Broadway Street around 7:30 a.m., NBC Los Angeles reports. Firefighters managed to rescue the trapped person, though it's not clear what the person's condition is at the moment.
Another downed tree crushed a car in the 1700 block of Allen Avenue in Altadena, a tree toppled over in North Hollywood by Camarillo and Tujunga, and a tree fell over Coldwater Canyon near Mulholland, snarling traffic this morning.
Wind gusts as high as 60mph taking out trees across SoCal, incl. this one at Camarillo/Tujunga in North Hollywood pic.twitter.com/S0pymGRjYf
— CBS Los Angeles (@CBSLA) November 16, 2015
Coldwater Canyon is a mess there's a tree down just passed Mulholland pic.twitter.com/ZcqWckINoV
— Josh Rubenstein (@JR_Comms) November 16, 2015
A power line fell over in the Starbucks parking lot in Mid-Wilshire, near Wilshire Boulevard and Highland Avenue:
A close-up of the downed power line in the Starbucks parking lot in Mid-Wilshire (Photo courtesy of Nick Stern)
Over in San Diego County, a person in Vista also saw a fallen tree:
And the cold weather also brought snow over to Tehachapi, a city in Kern County:
Winter Weather Advisory for northern Ventura and LA mtns until 10am. Here's a look at the snow in Tehachapi -> pic.twitter.com/5sph7Itdfk
— Bri Winkler (@abc7briwinkler) November 16, 2015
The windy, cold weather will continue today, as the winds will blow from northwest-to-north to northeast tonight and go through Tuesday, City News Service reports. Wind gusts will be going at a whopping 45 mph to 65 mph in the San Fernando Valley, the San Gabriel Valley and the L.A. coastal regions. Gusts could even get up to 70 to 85 mph in the mountains, the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys, and parts of Ventura County.
"This wind event has the potential to bring numerous downed trees and power lines, especially considering the widespread weakened and diseased trees due to the drought," the National Weather Service said in a statement. "In the Antelope Valley, there will be the strong potential for blowing dust and sand which could locally reduce visibilities to near zero at times. Other potential impacts include hazardous driving for high-profile vehicles, strong northerly cross winds at LAX, and elevated fire danger."
In addition, there will be rain in the northern San Gabriels, and snowfall in areas between 3,000 and 4,000 feet high.
Folks looking to head to beach should be careful. The Central Coast will have it the worst, but expect surfs of five to eight feet high by west-facing beaches in L.A. and Ventura counties. "Surf this large will result in dangerous rip currents," NWS said in a statement. "Inexperienced swimmers and surfers should stay out of the water. Also avoid jetties, rock walls, and cliffs, as large crashing waves can overtop these areas."