Palm Springs area weather: Bundle up for a blustery Valentine's Day

Janet Wilson, Palm Springs Desert Sun
·2 min read
Strong winds blow sand and dirt across Interstate 10 in January.
Strong winds blow sand and dirt across Interstate 10 in January.

Get cozy inside or bundle up if you're headed out for Valentine's Day, with high winds expected to blow into the Coachella Valley early Tuesday.

A high wind watch for the Coachella Valley and the mountains will be in effect starting about 3 a.m. Tuesday, "the wee hours of the morning, and that's going to continue through much of the night," said meteorologist Adam Roser with the National Weather Service in San Diego. "It's quite a windy system for Valentine's Day."

Gusts will blow over 40 mph in the valley and over 60 mph along Interstate 10 through the San Gorgonio Pass, Roser said. The high winds are not normal this time of year, he said, but will be pushed in from the northwest over the mountains and then into the valley by a low pressure system.

Gusts to 75 mph were expected "along the desert slopes," the weather service said.

High winds expected across the desert and mountains

The high wind watch was also issued for the San Bernardino County mountains, San Diego County mountains and the Apple and Lucerne Valleys. Some of the strongest gusts will be along the San Diego mountain desert slopes and foothills, according to the weather service, where gusts over 80 mph are possible by Tuesday afternoon.

There was a chance of snow in the mountains Sunday evening, more rain next weekend, and temperatures will grow cooler as the week progresses. Sunday's high was expected to be 70 in Palm Springs, with a low of 49 overnight. Monday will be sunny with a high of 69, but by Tuesday, it will be partly sunny and 63, with blowing dust, and lows will plunge overnight to 38. Wednesday will be sunny with a high near 60 and a low around 40 degrees.

A winter weather advisory was issued starting at midnight Sunday through 8 a.m. Monday, with 1 to 3 inches of snow forecast for areas above 5,000 feet, including Idyllwild and Pine Cove and the San Bernardino County mountain areas.

Janet Wilson is a Desert Sun staff writer.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs area weather: Strong winds, cool for Valentine's Day