Tracking mild and breezy weather locally, winter storm to the east

The weather we have here in the Coachella Valley is often among the best in the nation for this time of year. That could not be truer as we look ahead to this weekend. It is overall dry, mild, and calm in the valley to close out the workweek. A minor area of low pressure will move through or just to the south of us by tomorrow. This will bring some elevated winds to the valley for Saturday afternoon. Wind gusts should remain below 30 mph for most areas tomorrow. This system will also bring a very minor cooling trend through the weekend. Expect highs in the low 70s or upper 60s this weekend.

The aforementioned area of low pressure will be picked up by the significantly larger low pressure system, which is set to inflict a slew of winter weather hazards for most of the nation east of the Rockies. Some areas will see more than half a foot of snow, while others will see ice and freezing rain. And to top it all off, an Arctic blast will send high temperatures plummeting to near potential record-low levels.

This weekend will remain on the mild side with some breeziness on Saturday. While much of the rest of the country freezes, we will enjoy lovely weather locally. Highs will gradually rise with each day next week, with some occasional clouds here and there.