Live: Pineapple Express soaks Coachella Valley. Latest rain totals, road closures, forecast

Palm Springs Desert Sun

Updated February 2, 2024 at 10:42 PM·6 min read

A "Pineapple Express" — an atmospheric river that builds up in the tropical Pacific — dropped significant rainfall on the Coachella Valley on Thursday and into the early hours of Friday, and also large amounts of snow in the Riverside and San Bernardino County mountains.

Here are the latest updates.

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to reopen this weekend

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway will reopen on Saturday and Sunday after temporary road repairs due to Thursday's storm began Friday.

It will close again from Monday to Wednesday to complete the repairs to the permanent road.

Flood watch, winter storm warning through Tuesday afternoon

The National Weather Service has extended the flood watch to Tuesday afternoon. Current forecasts call for a chance of showers on Saturday and Sunday. Showers are expected on Monday, with possible thunderstorms in the morning and heavy rainfall through the day and more rain on Tuesday.

Also, the mountain areas of Riverside and San Bernardino counties over 6,000 feet are under a winter storm warning from Saturday evening until Tuesday afternoon. Light snow and rain showers are predicted through Monday before changing to all snow in the evening.

Vista Chino, Gene Autry reopened at wash Friday afternoon; all roads now open

East Vista Chino and North Gene Autry Trail were reopened at the wash Friday afternoon, after an hours-long closure due to storm flooding. All roads in Palm Springs have been reopened — though the roads could be closed again within a few days, with another storm expected early next week.

North Indian Canyon Drive reopened at the wash Friday

North Indian Canyon Drive was reopened at the wash just before noon Friday, according to the Palm Springs Police Department. The road was previously closed Thursday night due to standing water from the storms. Other road closures remained in effect as of noon Friday.

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to remain closed Friday; weekend schedule still TBD

After closing Thursday afternoon due to road damage caused by steady rainfall, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway will remain closed Friday, with the rest of its weekend schedule still up in the air.

Greg Purdy, the tram's vice president of marketing and public affairs, said the storm caused a large pothole to form along the road before the tramway's security gate. Tramway officials are unsure if they will reopen Saturday, as workers are expected to evaluate the damage Friday.

Updated rain totals across the Coachella Valley Friday

The National Weather Service reported 48-hour rain totals on Friday, which were accurate as of 4:48 p.m. While the totals cover a 48-hour period, the Coachella Valley did not receive rain until Thursday:

Whitewater Trout Farm: 0.98 inches
Morongo Valley: 0.9 inches
Windy Point: 0.71 inches
Palm Springs International Airport: 0.53 inches
Palm Desert: 0.51 inches
Desert Hot Springs: 0.39 inches
Cathedral City: 0.35 inches
Thousand Palms: 0.27 inches
Indio Hills: 0.19 inches

Flooding closes several roads, including Palm Springs wash routes

Three of Palm Springs major northern roadways through the Whitewater Wash were closed because of flooding from the storm as of 7 a.m. Those road sections are:

North Indian Canyon Drive between Palm Springs Station Road and Sunrise Parkway
Gene Autry Trail between East Via Escuela to Salvia Road
East Vista Chino through the wash

Beyond Palm Springs, the westbound lanes of Avenue 48 between Jackson Street and Monroe Street in Indio was also closed.

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway closed for road damage from storm

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway was closed Thursday afternoon due to weather-related road damage, according to the tram's Facebook page.

Officials did not offer a timeline for when the tramway will reopen, telling the public to check their social media accounts for updates.

Rain to taper off overnight; partly cloudy skies expected Friday

After a day of steady rainfall Thursday in the Coachella Valley, the precipitation is expected to taper off overnight ahead of a couple more storm systems likely next week.

The main storm system hovering over the valley was expected to move out Thursday night, according to Stefanie Sullivan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego.

“It’s pretty much petering out,” Sullivan said around 5:30 p.m. Thursday. “By about midnight or so is when it should pretty much be ending over there.”

The valley could even see a few glimpses of sunshine Friday, as Sullivan said it will be partly cloudy in the area.

Looking ahead, Sullivan said the next storm system could arrive Sunday night, but she added that the heaviest rain locally will likely be Monday heading into Tuesday. Another system is expected later that week.

Rain totals at 5:30 p.m.

As of 5:30 p.m. Thursday, the 24-hour rainfall totals across the valley were as follows:

Whitewater Trout Farm near San Gorgonio Pass: 0.94 inches.
Palm Springs International Airport: 0.46 inches.
Thousand Palms: 0.23 inches.
Palm Desert: 0.43 inches.
Indio Hills: 0.19 inches.

Rain expected to slow in afternoon

At around 1:30 p.m. Thursday, meteorologist Brandt Maxwell said it was looking likely that there would be a break in the rain this afternoon, but with showers continuing off and on through Thursday night and into Friday. About half an inch of rain is expected from the storm.

Maxwell added that the average February rainfall at Palm Springs International Airport is 1.11 inches, meaning the area could receive about half that amount on the first day of the month.

Rain totals at 1:30 p.m.

As of 1:30 p.m., the following rain totals had been measured throughout the valley, according to the National Weather Service:

Whitewater Trout Farm near San Gorgonio Pass: 0.47 inches
Palm Springs International Airport: 0.29 inches
Thousand Palms: 0.19 inches
Palm Desert: 0.16 inches

Updated forecast for Thursday in Palm Springs area

The National Weather Service forecast calls for rain to begin some time Thursday morning with light rain likely around 9 a.m. and then moderate to heavy rain expected from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and then light rain again from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Precipitation expectations vary some throughout the Coachella Valley with Palm Springs expected to see between a quarter-inch and half-inch of rain, while between one-tenth and a one-quarter of an inch is forecasted for Indio.

Totals are expected to be higher on the San Gorgonio Pass, with 1 to 2 inches of rain expected in Cabazon and Banning while between three-quarters and 1 inch are forecast for Yucaipa and Redlands. Similar totals are expected in Idyllwild while the peak of Mount San Jacinto is expected to receive between 10 and 16 inches of snow. The rain and snow are expected to be mostly over by late Thursday night.

The storm is expected to bring gusty increase that will gradually increase throughout the morning with gusts reaching 25 mph in the valley and 30 mph on the pass.

More: Raining on your vacation? Things to do in the valley despite bad weather