N. Indian Canyon Re-Opens After Windstorm

A major Palm Springs roadway re-opened to traffic on Tuesday after sand debris and high winds forced it to close on Sunday, according to the Palm Springs Police Department.

North Indian Canyon Drive was shut down between Tramview and Palm Springs Station roads due to the wind and sand, Palm Springs police Sgt. Mike Kovaleff said.

Winds were recorded into the mid-30s overnight, but they had calmed to single digits this morning. They were expected to gust up to 25 mph this evening, according to the National Weather Service.

The Palm Springs Fire Department was called to an accident on Interstate 10 on Tuesday, but was unable to make it to the scene because Indian Canyon was closed down, according to battalion chief Jim Webb.

Instead, the department relied on mutual aid in Desert Hot Springs for assistance.

There were no injuries in the crash, but it was one aspect of the obstacles authorities face when Indian Canyon is blocked off, said Webb.

The Palm Springs Police Department said that the closures sometimes have an affect on its response times.

Indian Canyon has already been closed down for nearly two weeks since the start of the year.

The road was closed Sunday, when wind speed hit 41 mph.

It was re-opened at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday.