Bay Area chills out in freezing temperatures

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Cold temperatures mean scraping ice off the windshield for many of us. It also means black ice on some local roads.

Highway 17 is a dangerous highway. Add ice during the morning commute and you get three separate crashes involving four cars right around Lexington Reservoir, where traffic drops down into Los Gatos.

"Hit a little black ice," said Michael from Santa Cruz. "Clipped the median trying to avoid a car that already crashed in front of me, and here it is, sitting in the cold on the side of the road."

"People need to slow down," Sgt. Barry Barnwell of the CHP told ABC7 News, "Obviously the faster you go, the less traction you have when you hit things."

Everywhere in the Bay Area was cold. Many places were below freezing. Cars and rooftops were frosted over in Santa Clara.

People bundled up to go out for their morning coffee. Others bundled up to sleep.

"We actually keep our house pretty cold," said Tim Frazier of Livermore. "So we all sleep with knit hats on and you know, sweats and cover the plants and wrap the pipes.

Landscaping work is a lot more difficult in freezing temperatures. "It's pretty frozen," said Santos Ortiz of Crystal Springs Landscape.

The cold weather isn't keeping people from getting in their Christmas shopping less than a week away from the big day, but people must prepare before they go out.

When asked what the key to staying warm is Erin McDonald of San Jose said,"I think it's Uggs and the hat. It's a bad hair day under this hat, but you have to wear one."

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