Warm and windy Sunday ahead

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – Warm and windy: those are the two W's we're tracking to start your Sunday!

Winds have again eased somewhat overnight, but expect the breezes to rebuild through the morning. By lunchtime, widespread gusts near 20-25 MPH for the valley floor are to be expected. The best shot for the strongest winds appear to be between noon and 5:00 p.m. – right around dinnertime – before winds ease.

As you settle in for bed this evening, winds begin to decrease. By Monday, expect much-improved conditions.

We're looking at a similar picture for nearby wind-related alerts and advisories compared to yesterday. A Wind Advisory remains in place for Desert Hot Springs, the Banning Pass, and higher elevation spots in our local Riverside County and San Bernardino County mountains, along with much of the Inland Empire. These should expire by 5:00 p.m. this afternoon as winds taper off. You may notice the National Weather Service has since let the Wind Advisory in the High Desert (Yucca Valley, 29 Palms) expire overnight. In lieu of a Wind Advisory for the valley, an Air Quality Alert remains in place for potential windblown dust impacts more locally.

We're expecting to see much warmer weather on today – an increase of about 7-10° depending on where you are in the valley compared to Saturday (78° in Palm Springs). Highs in the mid to upper 80s are likely. In Indian Wells for the BNP Paribas Open? Rock comfortable clothes, hold onto your hats, and stick in the shade if you can!

Temperatures drop and stay "cooler" for the start of the workweek as low pressure briefly brings more moisture into the region. Small chances for light rain well to our south are possible. Locally, I expect we will see a boost in our clouds for Monday. High pressure builds back in for the rest of the week and highs soar as a result. Expect to jump back into the 90s by midweek, with record highs being threatened again by Thursday and Friday.

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