Insider Blog: Why is it so windy in the Coachella Valley?

We feel a lot of wind in the San Gorgonio Pass and here in the Coachella Valley. There's two main reasons why - The Venturi Effect and the difference in temperature between the Coachella Valley and the Inland Empire.

The Venturi Effect describes how fluids (any gas or liquid) behave in an area of constricted flow. When air flows through a constricted area, like the San Gorgonio pass, the velocity, or speed, of the flow must increase. You may have noticed this effect before if you have ever put your thumb over the end of a hose.

When talking about the movement of air, it’s important to remember one main thing, warm air rises and cool air sinks. During the day, we tend to heat up quite a bit here on the valley floor. This causes some of the air in the valley to rise, leaving a slight ‘void’ of sorts. Air from the cooler Inland Empire will flow into the valley to fill this ‘void’, and experience the Venturi Effect as it moves through the Pass. This leads to the windy conditions we are used to here in the Coachella Valley.