Indian Canyon Drive reopens through wash, but heavy winds forecast for Palm Springs
Palm Springs police reopened North Indian Canyon Drive through the wash Monday morning, about 20 hours after it was closed because of high winds that caused blowing sand.
The closure had extended from Garnet Avenue, just south of Interstate 10, to Sunrise Parkway. That section of the roadway is often closed because of wind and other weather issues.
Winds battered the north side of Palm Springs and surrounding areas for much of Sunday. A 48-mph gust was measured in north Palm Springs at around 12:40 p.m., while a 62-mph gust was clocked in neighboring Whitewater. Desert Hot Springs saw a gust of 40 mph, and one in Cathedral City reached 39 mph.
While they had slowed enough to allow police to reopen the road, the strong winds continued Monday morning and forecasters said blowing dust would likely be an issue throughout the day. Winds of 15 to 25 mph and gusts of up to 40 mph were forecast for Palm Springs on Monday, although they were expected to slow by the evening.
Wind speeds were expected to be slightly slower in other parts of the valley, with peak gusts of 30 mph expected in Palm Desert and Indio.
Paul Albani-Burgio covers breaking news and the City of Palm Springs. Follow him on Twitter at @albaniburgiop and via email at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs reopens Indian Canyon Drive, but heavy winds to continue
