Our Warm Weather Continues this Week With Above Average Temps and Dry Conditions for the Coachella Valley

The Coachella Valley and Palm Springs will experience warm and dry conditions through the weekend, with temperatures ranging 7 to 15 degrees above average. High pressure building aloft over Arizona and New Mexico will help maintain these above-average temperatures, with highs in the lower 80s expected on Friday and Saturday. As the overall flow begins to trend more onshore this evening, low clouds are forecast to reach the western valleys, possibly extending to the edges of the Inland Empire.

In addition to the mild cloud cover, weak to moderate northeast winds will develop, with gusts reaching 35 to 45 mph along the coastal slopes of the mountains, the mountain foothills, and locally into the eastern valleys. These gusty winds may also bring brief periods of elevated fire weather concerns. Dry conditions are expected to persist into early next week, with the possibility of additional rounds of Santa Ana winds, depending on the positioning of a low-pressure system over the northern United States. If the low shifts south, there may be a cooling trend early next week; however, if the ridge remains in place, temperatures will stay warmer.

An Air Quality Alert for a Mandatory Wood Burning Ban is currently in effect until midnight, covering areas to the west, including portions of Riverside County. Although this doesn't directly affect the Coachella Valley, the dry weather pattern in the region can lead to stagnant air, which traps pollution and particulate matter near the surface, worsening air quality and triggering such burn bans to reduce harmful emissions.