Southland shoppers undeterred by cold temps

PALMDALE, Calif. (KABC) -- Despite bone-chilling temps in some areas of the Southland, some shoppers were out to do their holiday shopping Wednesday night.

Earlier in the day, Palmdale residents woke up to temps in the low 20s. As if that wasn't cold enough, the mercury dropped to 13 degrees later in the morning, breaking the old record of 15 degrees, which was set 33 years ago.

"I came out this morning. It was additionally cold. It was definitely 10 or 15 degrees colder," said Palmdale resident Tom Trimble.

The burst of frigid weather comes in the last leg of fall, with the official start of winter just around the corner on Dec. 23.

People were putting on extra layers, scarves, hats and gloves to battle the cold. Hot beverages were also in hot demand.

"I'm from Ohio and I've been living out here for about 10 years, and I feel it's bone-chilling cold. That's what they say in Ohio," said Palmdale resident Lonnie Thomas

The low temperatures can be dangerous for pets and plants, so you're advised to bring them indoors.

In nearby Lancaster, the unseasonably cold temperatures all week have kept firefighters busier than normal.

"We've had actually an increase amount of fires lately in the last week. Just small fires, and we're able to get there quick and put them out," said firefighter Christian Litz.

Many of the fires were started from things like space heaters.

"Sometimes, they don't realize where they place it. They might keep it next to a stack of clothes or a stack of books," said Litz.

What's even more dangerous than space heaters is using ovens or stovetops to heat your house. This is because of the potentially fatal risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

"It's colorless. You can't smell it, and all of a sudden, people are getting sick, and they don't understand what's going on," said Litz.

The Los Angeles Metro area, Orange County, Inland Empire and the Valleys will see temps reach 68 Wednesday, with a high of 49 for the local mountains.

The conditions with highs in the upper 60s will remain similar through most of the week across the Southland.

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antelope valley, weather, christina salvo

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