Tracking strong winds ahead of a sharp drop in temperatures

This evening we are tracking the long-awaited uptick in our winds. We are also tracking mild temperatures and drier conditions compared to yesterday. As a result of the expected gusty winds, an Air Quality Alert has been issued for the Coachella Valley for the risk of windblown dust and sand through 9 AM Tuesday.

As we have been talking about for several days now, winds will become breezy to gusty tonight. As usual, the strongest winds will be in/around the San Gorgonio pass and along the I-10 corridor here in the Coachella Valley. A Wind Advisory will take effect at 7 PM this evening for the San Gorgonio Pass, Desert Hot Springs, and North Palm Springs. The rest of the Coachella Valley is NOT included under this advisory. Winds will stay elevated in the overnight hours into Monday morning before becoming gusty again Monday afternoon.

The gusty winds over the next 24+ hours will usher in some drastically cooler temperatures. Highs will drop about 10 degrees between Sunday and Monday. We can look forward to highs in the 80s tomorrow, roughly 15° below average! Interestingly, the overnight lows on Tuesday morning will be quite chilly, potentially dropping into the upper 50s! We will monitor temperatures closely as Monday's temperatures are approaching near-record cool levels. There will be another, smaller, boost to winds on Wednesday. A warming trend will return to the valley as we approach the weekend.