Entering the calm before the storm
THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – Happy Sunday! It's another pleasant forecast in the Coachella Valley. Expect some more clouds overhead today and temperatures slightly cooler than yesterday. It looks like another perfect day in the valley ... but this calm before the storm won't last for long.
Here's a look at what you can expect temperature-wise today. It's great running weather as the Palm Desert Half Marathon and 5K kicks off this morning!
Onto the main issue: rain. We stay dry for Sunday and early Monday morning, but by lunchtime and into the afternoon, expect to encounter your first raindrops. The front of this storm looks to bring the majority of rainfall. Our FutureTrack models are showing significant bands of rain and snow in our local mountains entering the picture around 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Monday.
Rain chances stick with us through Monday and overnight Tuesday, but taper off for most of the day on Tuesday. As Wednesday approaches, though, another round of some overnight activity is possible.
Estimates still vary, but the Weather Service says the low deserts can expect 0.10" to 0.50" of rain, with upwards of an inch possible in the Banning Pass/northern Coachella Valley, which could impact roadway flooding.
A Winter Storm Watch for our local mountains is in place Monday all the way through Thursday for significant snowfall. A High Wind Watch will also go into place for the Banning Pass and Desert Hot Springs as the most intense portion of the storm arrives on Monday; isolated gusts could surpass 70 MPH in some spots. I anticipate these will be upgraded to Warnings as the storm gets closer. A Wind Advisory for much of the rest of the Inland Empire and High Desert will also go into effect during the same period. Notably, the valley floor is exempt from these advisories right now, but we could still see elevated wind gusts during that time, too.
A First Alert Weather Alert is in place for Monday and Tuesday as we track this storm, but the timing of that alert could be changed based on updated rainfall estimates. Either way, we're tracking wet weather Monday through Wednesday. Things dry out Thursday and beyond. The valley will stay well below seasonal average as this cold system keeps highs in the 60s all week long.
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