Cold winds bring down tree on Culver City home; Prompt dust, surf advisories

Southern California woke up to blustery, cold winds that brought a tree down on a Culver City home and have prompted advisories.

Temperatures on Tuesday morning were in the 40s in the valleys, sending students and early morning commuters scrambling for warmer jackets and hats. The blustery winds added to the chill of the morning.

The strong winds may have been what took down wires in the Pacific Palisades and in the Hollywood Hills. 

The wind also appears to have taken down a large tree onto a home on Minerva Avenue in Culver City. No injuries have been reported and the roof does not appear to have collapsed, but crews were at the scene to clean up the mess.

The family who were sleeping inside the home were not injured, but they did say they were woken up by the crash of the tree, which caused some damage to one of their cars. Culver City public works officials say nothing appears to be wrong with the tree, but they will check the others in the neighborhood as a precaution.

Gale force winds are also making things hazardous on the water. Gusts of up to 40 knots are expected in coastal waters through Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service, and there is an increased risk of small boats capsizing, high surf, and dangerous rip currents.

A dust advisory remains in effect until 3 p.m. for coastal and central Los Angeles County and the Santa Clarita, San Fernando, and San Gabriel valleys. The South Coast Air Quality Management District warned that blowing dust can lead to unhealthy air quality and lead to poor visibility for motorists.

The chilly winds followed a day after portions of Southern California experienced scattered, light rain, and several days after sweltering temperatures smashed heat records across the region -- all in less than five days.

"Weather is crazy, the weather is crazy right?" a Culver City neighbor said. "It was, like, a million degrees last week, and now it's ... it's very strange."