Clearer skies this weekend as rain gives way to seasonal weather

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – Southern California continues to dry out after a wet round of holiday weather. Today has been fantastic, with cool but clearer conditions across the Coachella Valley. Expect a round of seasonal weather (highs in the upper 60s/low 70s) with occasionally breezy conditions for now.

As we continue to see drying conditions, some periods of weak to moderate Santa Ana winds are expected, especially Sunday through Tuesday. Winds don't appear to be too severe; at most, around 20 MPH gusts during that time. This could be more elevated through the passes. Here's a look at winds on Sunday.

Expect a chilly morning tomorrow. Highs are expected to stay in the upper 60s, which is right where we should be this time of year.

While dry this weekend and early next week, rain chances return as we ring in 2026. Looking at our FutureTrack models, more clouds move in Wednesday ahead of rain chances on Thursday. This system looks to be less impressive than the one that brought our Christmas Eve rainfall. On the high end, current projections put us at about a third of an inch in the low deserts. We'll continue to monitor as these models are refined.

Temperatures stay generally seasonal in the next week or so. We warm slightly early in the week thanks to the increasing offshore flow. Those temperatures are expected to fall again as the next low pressure system begins to move in, bringing rain chances around the new year. Something about our end-of-the-year holidays seems to be inviting wet weather...

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