Storm brings hail to parts of the Coachella Valley, snow in the High Desert
Tuesday's storm brought a fair bit of rain and hail to parts of the Coachella Valley.
Although the rain has passed, gusty winds continue to cool down temperatures across the desert.
Travelers endured these winter elements firsthand.
“Oh yeah, I got a little bit of snow, some hail, the winds were pushing against the car," said traveler Guillermo Angulo.
Angulo, who was traveling from Rancho Cucamonga, said he welcomed the change in weather.
"It was beautiful. You gotta enjoy it, you don’t get to see it very often. You drive across country you see it in other places, it’s kind of nice to see it at home," Angulo said.
Viewers sent in video of hail falling at around 2:00 p.m.
As of 3:00 p.m., only N Indian Canyon has been shut down at the Whitewater Wash.
ROAD CLOSURE ALERT
— City of Palm Springs (@CityofPS) March 1, 2023
Indian Canyon at the wash closed due to flooding.
Vista Chino at the wash is down to one lane in each direction due to flooding. pic.twitter.com/zzyBXmD1PS
The storm covered parts of the High Desert with a fresh blanket of snow.
“It was just dumping snow. I wanted to say it was probably a foot of snow when it started dumping," said Yucca Valley resident Asia Scott.
Scott said the snow created tough conditions on the roads.
“I was just trying to leave and I was just getting no traction, I was sliding. I had this in 4 wheel drive and I was still sliding around in the snow it was pretty bad," she explained.
Just before 2:45 p.m., the Morongo Basin Sheriff's Station is advising essential travel only in the Yucca Valley and surrounding area.
Traffic Advisory: Due to heavily snow in the Yucca Valley and surrounding area, we are advising essential travel only. Patrol deputies are handling numerous traffic hazards and collisions at this time. pic.twitter.com/GaMNulPU8r
— Morongo Basin (@morongobasinstn) March 1, 2023
Joshua Tree National Park was closed due to the weather at around 3:30 p.m.
Due to inclement weather, the park is closed. Rangers are working on reopening as soon as possible! #ParkClosure pic.twitter.com/5DqywpeLdK
— Joshua Tree NPS (@JoshuaTreeNPS) March 1, 2023
Students in the Yucca Valley area got a snow day as the Morongo Valley Unified School District canceled classes for the day.
A First Alert Weather Alert has been issued for Wednesday due to this storm. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect until 10 p.m.
Have you downloaded the 'KESQ First Alert' app yet? It's FREE! Click here
