A Year in Review: 2022 Weather
We saw 122 days of 100°+ temperatures here in the valley, which is two more days than what we had last year. 39 of those days brought temperatures at or above 110°.
The hottest high in Palm Springs came in at 116°, which was reached three times on July 11th, 16th, and August 30th.
A powerful dust storm called a haboob swept through the valley on October 6. Click here to learn more about how a haboob forms.
Windy weather dominated this year, with gusts that reached well over 60 mph.
Gusty conditions created difficult driving conditions and even closed some of our roads. North Indian Canyon Drive was closed for a total of 27 days since last December.
In 2022, the road was closed 7 times due to low visibility caused by windblown dust and 7 times for flooding.
This shows it doesn't take much to have an impact in the desert, as Palm Springs only recorded 1.17 inches of rain (so far) this year.
As of December 20th, there's been improvement in the drought, though still, more than 7% of the Golden State is experiencing 'exceptional' drought conditions. In Riverside County, it ranges from 'abnormally dry' to 'severe' drought. See more of the drought monitor here.
Drier conditions created the perfect setup for fire weather across California. Cal Fire reported 7,543 Incidents and an estimated 362,476 acres burned, which includes the devastating Fairview fire near Hemet.
The Coachella Valley experienced milder conditions as well. Our coolest high came in at 58° in February, with our coldest low at a chilly 35° in January.
The first snowfall at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway came on November 8, a whole month earlier than last year!
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway was coated with 5 inches of fresh powder that day which marked the end of the annual Snow Guessing Contest.
