Isolated Storms + Extreme Heat & Humidity Build Across Coachella Valley

The heat is ramping right back up across the Coachella Valley, with an Extreme Heat Warning in effect for the valley starting Wednesday morning as highs climb into the lower one-teens through Friday. A number of spots across the Coastal Basin have already been upgraded from a Heat Advisory to an Extreme Heat Warning.

Adding insult to injury, this southeasterly flow and tropical moisture is keeping our humidity elevated, making this heat feel a bit more uncomfortable. It'll also limit how much relief we get the next few overnights.

Today's been climbing pretty decently--we've upped daytime highs and will see our hottest days of the week and areas of major HeatRisk across the lower desert through Friday.

Tropical moisture also brings a chance for scattered thunderstorms over the mountains this afternoon, with any stronger storms capable of brief heavy rain and gusty winds, while storm chances drop to just 10–20% Wednesday and become even more limited Thursday. We have seen a few spotty showers up at the top of the Tram already.

Looking ahead, high pressure will begin to weaken late week, kicking off a gradual cooling trend into the weekend. By early next week, temperatures should return to near or even slightly below average, with noticeably drier air finally knocking down the humidity and making things feel more comfortable.