Cold and windy weather in SoCal ahead of weekend storm

LOS ANGELES (FOX 11) - It was another day of clear, cold and windy weather Wednesday across Southern California before changing conditions will bring rain.

Gusty Santa Ana winds were lingering in the region Wednesday morning and a mix of frost advisories, freeze and hard freeze warnings remained in effect across the region as well as northward along the coast and into the San Joaquin Valley.

Due to cold temperatures in the forecast, Southern California Gas Co. urged customers to "dial down," particularly in the evenings when natural gas use is typically highest.

The National Weather Service said offshore flow beneath building high pressure will keep the region dry into Friday, followed by a Pacific storm system that will likely bring rain, mountain snow and periods of gusty winds during the weekend.

Meteorologists said forecasting models indicate it will be a "good rainmaker" for Southern California.

An additional Pacific storm could reach the region in the middle of next week.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.