First Alert Weather Alert Issued for Gusty Winds & Blowing Dust Into Monday Afternoon
A First Alert Weather Alert has been issued for gusty winds, blowing dust, reduced visibility and poor air quality across the Coachella Valley through 1:00 p.m. Monday. Looking at our Timo's Skycam atop Edom Hill, our typically gorgeous view of the valley has been obscured by dust.
Blowing dust has reduced visibility across the valley already.
The City of Palm Springs posted on Facebook all three wash roads (Gene Autry, Vista Chino, and Indian Canyon) are now closed due to blowing dust & sand.
The South Coast Air Quality Management issued an Air Quality Alert and it's certainly reflected in our AQI levels--which have been hazardous at times today.
Several wind-related advisories are in place in and around the Coachella Valley today. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) has issued an Air Quality Alert for the Coachella Valley until Monday at noon for windblown dust. A Wind Advisory is also in place for the Banning Pass and Desert Hot Springs areas until Monday at 4:00 p.m. for gusts up to 55 MPH.
Winds are expected to peak this afternoon and evening. Our FutureTrack data is showing gusts near 50 MPH in Thousand Palms by 5:00 p.m. with gusts above 30 MPH across much of the rest of the valley.
Winds will weaken slightly into Sunday morning, becoming more moderate, but still breezy. Gustier conditions return starting in the afternoon and into the evening hours.
As we head into Sunday, chances for precipitation increase across Southern California. Models are showing light showers to our west, closer to the coasts, that will make its way to the Inland Empire and our local mountains. Later in the evening, we see the potential for snowfall above 5,000 feet in our nearby Riverside and San Bernardino County mountains.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in place for the mountain communities that could see snowfall tomorrow.
There's quite a bit of fluctuation in our forecast over the next week or so. Highs should be below average as the winds suppress our temperatures over the next couple of days. We warm back up through the middle of the week, but slight precipitation chances as another system rolls into the region could cool us into the 60s on Thursday. Warmer highs then look to return again by next weekend.
