Light rain expected Tuesday in desert as parts of SoCal coast get soaked again
While heavy rain persisted in parts of Southern California over Presidents' Day weekend, the Coachella Valley dodged it and will be mostly spared from the inclement weather this week. Temperatures are expected to peak at 70 degrees on Tuesday and Wednesday — with a chance of light rain on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
A flood watch remains in effect in the Idyllwild-Pine Cove area through Wednesday morning, as well as a winter weather advisory for the San Bernardino and Riverside County mountains. Drivers are urged to use caution when driving; the slippery road conditions could impact morning or evening commutes.
"It's a weaker storm than what we saw in early February," National Weather Service Meteorologist Alex Tardy said of a weather system rolling in. "Most of the rain will be on Tuesday night because that's when the main storm moves through (Palm Springs). The storm is out of here pretty quick on Wednesday."
Under a quarter of an inch of rain is expected in Palm Springs, just enough to make the ground wet. The top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway will get a few inches of snow "until the cold front comes through early Wednesday morning," he said.
The storm, originating from the northwest Pacific Ocean and drawing in atmospheric tropic moisture, will primarily affect Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, with these cities expected to receive about two to four inches of rain.
February has been much wetter than normal, with rainfall measuring 1.33 inches in Palm Springs — exceeding the average by .75 inches.
"It's safe to say that for this winter, Palm Springs is exactly where it should be on an average year, but you got most of that (rain) in February," Tardy said.
The next storm will likely hold off until the end of the month, he said, with the Coachella Valley possibly experiencing some rain from Feb. 25 to 27.
Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Light rain expected in Palm Springs area; heavy rain in Los Angeles
