Winds Add to Already Biting Chill in Local Communities

High winds are adding to the already biting cold that has chilled Southern California, prompting National Weather Service officials to issue a high wind warning this morning.

Los Angeles County officials are reporting one of the first deaths likely related to the cold. A man described as a transient was found dead today on a sidewalk in downtown Los Angeles, where the temperature fell to 34 degrees, a record low for a Jan. 14th.

The man, who apparently was in his late 50s, was discovered about 6:40 a.m. in the 300 block of West First Street, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported. His name was not immediately released.

The man may have been beneath blankets or in a sleeping bag, the fire department reported. The preliminary investigation indicated that the cause of death was from natural causes, police said.

According to the National Weather Service, the 34 degrees recorded this morning broke the record low of 36 set in downtown L.A. on Jan. 14, 2007. Today's low was also the coldest temperature recorded in downtown Los Angeles since Dec. 23, 1990, 22 years ago.

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