Palm Springs Weather: Gusts reach 70-plus mph, expected to continue through Monday

Paul Albani-Burgio, Palm Springs Desert Sun
·2 min read
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The heavy winds that battered the Coachella Valley on Saturday are expected to continue through the holiday weekend, the National Weather Service said.

The forecast for Sunday calls for winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts of up to 40 mph in the morning that could increase to 45 mph in the evening before returning to about 40 mph overnight.

The winds will then slow down to about 15 to 20 mph on Monday with gusts of up to 30 mph. The winds are then expected to lighten up in the afternoon. The high for both days is expected to be about 98 degrees.

A National Weather Service wind alert, which warns of winds of up to 35 mph and gusts of up to 60 mph, is currently scheduled to remain in effect for Desert Hot Springs, the San Gorgonio Pass and points west through 3 a.m. Monday.

North Gene Autry Trail and North Indian Canyon Drive in Palm Springs remain closed through the washes Sunday, and blowing sand could also be an issue on open roads. The weather service has also issued a warning that winds could impact flights at Palm Springs International Airport.

Gusts nearly reached 80 mph at Whitewater

On Saturday, gusts of above 60 mph were measured in multiple locations in the western Coachella Valley. The area's biggest gust was recorded in Whitewater, where the wind was clocked at 77 mph at 8:40 p.m. In Desert Hot Springs, a gust reached 68 mph while one reached 62 mph in North Palm Springs.

A gust of 46 mph was recorded in Cathedral City 43 mph at 5 p.m. while the Palm Springs International Airport saw a peak gust of 43 mph at 4 p.m. A gust of 38 mph was recorded at the Thermal Airport at just after 9:30 p.m.

The winds are expected to continue to slow on Tuesday, when temperatures will also start to warm. The high is expected to reach back into the triple digits on Wednesday and reach as high as 107 degrees on Thursday. Highs in the low 100s are expected on Friday and Saturday.

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 Weather: High winds expected to continue through Monday