Unpleasant, dusty weather continues for the Coachella Valley this weekend
THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – It's been quite an unpleasant couple of days in the Coachella Valley as gusty weather has led to poor air quality, road closures, and visibility issues. Unfortunately, we're still seeing more of the same – even into the middle of next week.
We're seeing a brief lull (relatively speaking) in the winds this afternoon; gusts are not quite as strong compared to what we saw over the past couple of days. However, we're expecting gusts to kick back up through the evening and overnight hours.
Right now, air quality is in the 'Moderate' range for the Coachella Valley. An Air Quality Alert from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) remains in place through Sunday at 11:59 p.m.
The National Weather Service has also issued a Wind Advisory for the Coachella Valley through 11:00 a.m. on Sunday. Gusts are expected up to 50 MPH; the Pass and other mountain areas could see those gusts up to 60 MPH. Since these windy conditions are expected to persist through Wednesday, the NWS is looking into issuing a continuous alert starting Sunday afternoon to Wednesday.
Our FutureTrack data certainly shows stubborn wind gusts. Overnight, gusts nearing 40 MPH are expected in Thousand Palms; as winds continue strengthening into Sunday evening, we're seeing more widespread gusts near 30 MPH in Cathedral City and Palm Desert, with gusts nearing 40 MPH in Desert Hot Springs, Thousand Palms, and La Quinta. Plenty of wind and dust to go around!
Temperatures are staying slightly below average as the wind continues to cool us down. Winds are expected to peak and be most widespread on Tuesday; temperatures are expected to dip into the mid-70s Tuesday and Wednesday. Right now, it looks like next weekend will be bringing warmer temperatures. Fingers crossed the wind calms down by then, too!
