Renewable energy is fascinating. Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy (energy of motion) of the wind into electrical energy as the turbines spin. Solar panels work by converting photons (particles of light energy) into electrons, creating electrical energy. In this graphic from Climate Central, they estimate how much energy will be generated over the next
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Winds here in the Coachella Valley today are noticeably breezier than yesterday. Winds will likely peak on Wednesday but will remain elevated on Thursday. As we track an increase in our winds, we will monitor any impacts on our air quality. An Air Quality Alert is in effect now and will last through 6 PM
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An Air Quality Alert is in effect until 6 p.m. tomorrow as periodically gusty winds may reduce air quality due to blowing sand and dust. So far, the air quality remains in the “Good” or “Moderate” range throughout the region. Winds are expected to remain gusty through tomorrow afternoon. Those winds are also ushering in
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An Air Quality Alert will be in effect starting at 6 PM this evening and will last through 6 PM Wednesday. Air quality can vary from hour to hour, so check airnow.gov for the latest data in your area. Winds are expected to peak on Tuesday, particularly in the afternoon and evening hours. Breezes will
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Highs today will still span the upper 80s but some changes arrive later this evening. A front knocking on the door will bring breezy conditions tonight and into tomorrow, that will also mean cooler daytime highs. Expect winds to increase tonight through tomorrow, then gradually ease by midweek. Offshore winds return by Wednesday, but their
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Onshore winds return by Monday evening. It will breezy through Tuesday, especially in wind prone spots. Here’s a look at expected Monday night winds. Expect temperatures in the upper 80s and low 90s for daytime highs through Monday. After that, cooler temperatures follow in the 70s and 80s through the rest of the week. There
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Dry and warm conditions will remain through Sunday due to a ridge of high pressure. This is great news if you are heading out for the Palm Springs Pride Parade which starts at 10 a.m.! An incoming trough of low pressure will increase our onshore flow by Monday evening. Wind speeds could reach up to
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Warm temperatures continue through the weekend with plenty of dry air across the weekend. Here’s a look at Sunday’s conditions if you’re planning to head down to Palm Springs for the Pride Parade. Winds pick back up on Monday evening as a Pacific trough moves in, increasing our onshore flow. It will stay breezy through
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Dry, sunny and warmer conditions will remain this weekend due to a ridge of building high pressure. Daytime high temperatures will stay in the low 90s through Monday, which is about 5°-10° above the seasonal average (84°). Sunday is expected to be the warmest day of the week; it also marks the end of Day
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Rainbows are just one of a wide variety of optical effects caused by the interactions between sunlight and various atmospheric conditions. Sunlight is actually a mix of every wavelength, or color, of the visible light portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Credit: https://hubblesite.org/contents/articles/the-electromagnetic-spectrum As sunlight enters a raindrop, it slows down since water is more dense
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An Air Quality Alert is in place for areas to our west. This alert is for fine smoke particles created from wildfires in Southern California. Air quality around the low desert Friday afternoon is ‘good’. The ridge of high pressure gradually building all week peaks this weekend. This setup will keep dry conditions in place, paired with
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Highs have been climbing about a degree per day this week, and that trend continues into the weekend. High pressure will keep us sunny and warm through the weekend before we return to normal conditions early next week. That dome of high pressure is also trapping smoke from area wildfires closer to the surface, so
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An Air Quality Alert is in place for areas to our west. This alert is for fine smoke particles created from wildfires around Southern California. Air quality around the low valley Thursday night is predominately ‘good’ with a pocket of ‘moderate’ being reported near Indio. We continue to have a ridge of high pressure leading
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Snow here on the valley floor is a pretty rare sight. Thankfully, we have a bunch of towering mountains in our backyard. Based on the average of the last 10 years, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway sees its first inch (or more) of snow on November 23rd. The reason our mountains see more snow than
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Highs are on the uptick as we finish the week and start the weekend. Despite adding a couple of degrees, it promises to be a beautiful day, and a great evening for Palm Springs’ VillageFest tonight. Because of the fire burning near Temecula, an Air Quality Watch is in place for this morning. Smoke from
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October 2023 was a fairly comfortable month here in the Coachella Valley. Of the 31 days in the month, 16 came in as above average. 14 days were below average and one day’s high temperature was the same as the seasonal average. 11 of the above-average days saw a high temperature in the triple digits.
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It is noticeably warmer today than it was at the same time yesterday. Temperatures today are right around where they should be for this time of year. However, a warming trend is in place for the rest of the week. High pressure has become dominant over the desert southwest. This is the reason for the
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Today will be fairly mild with close to seasonal norms for daytime highs. High pressure will build in across the region, slowly warming us into the lower 90s. Highs will eventually reach the low 90s for the weekend, putting us a few degrees above normal. We will return to near-normal temps by Tuesday of next
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Twentynine years ago today, President Bill Clinton signed into law the California Desert Protection Act, establishing Joshua Tree National Park as we know it today. Prior to 1994, the land had been designated as a national monument all the way back in 1936. Credit: Spencer Blum Former United States Senator Barabra Boxer explained to me
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