Tracking a windy weekend ahead

It is a mild and breezy close ot the workweek here in the Coachella Valley. A large area of low pressure is currently centered over the Intermountain West. This is leading to some breezy conditions here at home, but is also causing severe weather, including the risk for tornadoes, for a wide area east of the Rocky Mountains. This system will begin to split heading into the weekend. Part of the trough will break away from the jet stream and move to the Southwest, closer to Southern California. This cutoff low pressure system will increase offshore winds again for the weekend.

Saturday in particular will be on the windier side. Winds will be primarily out of the northeast and will be widespread. Sunday will be breezy too, but the strongest winds are likelier on Saturday. We will be watching for air quality concerns throughout the weekend. Keep in mind that there are Wind Advisories in place for most areas surrounding the Coachella Valley, but not for the valley floor (with the exception of Desert Hot Springs). After the trough passes, a ridge of high pressure will build over the region, causing temperatures to warm sharply by the end of next week.

Expect mild temperatures relatively close to the seasonal average through the beginning of next week. Next week will see a warming trend that will carry us well above average into the upper 90s by the end of the week. Skies will be mostly sunny.