Powerful Santa Ana winds bring bitter cold temperatures, topple big rig in IE

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KABC) -- Powerful Santa Ana winds were already causing problems across San Bernardino County on Friday as a very windy weekend got underway.

In the mountain community of Lake Arrowhead, strong winds whipped up whitecaps on the lake and drove wind chills into the single digits. Resident Tom Reinecke said the overnight conditions were especially harsh.

"I mean, it said on my phone, 'Feels like seven... degrees!' That's cold," Reinecke said.

Reinecke said the overnight winds were strong enough to knock out power to his home. He said a generator helped protect him and his wife from the extreme cold.

"It was windy. It was 50-60 mph. It was blowing hard, and it was cold. Cold, cold, cold," Reinecke said.

The intense cold also led to icicles forming along the front docks at Lake Arrowhead Village, creating slippery conditions. Visitor Lucas Naccarti, who was visiting from Arcadia, said the freezing temperatures caught him off guard.

"It's freezing. We are actually out here trying to look for gloves, because we didn't bring gloves. These bad boys are frozen," Naccarti said.

At lower elevations, temperatures were not as severe, but the winds remained strong. In Jurupa Valley, gusty conditions were powerful enough to topple a big rig.

The Friday winds mark the start of what is expected to be a very windy weekend for the region.

A lot of people are expected to drive up the Cajon Pass and up Highway 2 as the Mountain High ski resort reopens this weekend following damaging rains. Drivers are encouraged to use caution and bring snow chains just in case.