I'm from California and it's not just new construction. One of the coolest things about northern California is the cozy fires on cold winter nights but that's also where the leftists greatest concentration is. If we move back, maybe we'll move back to SoCal where it doesn't get cold.
During the winter, it gets quite cold in Southern California. I lived there for 19 years (1974-89 and 1993-97). In December 1978, it snowed in La Crescenta.