How Hot Will Palm Desert Get? As High Pressure Settles Over IE

PALM DESERT, CA—Starting Wednesday and into Friday, an excessive heat warning was in place for Coachella Valley as well as for all of Riverside County and the Inland Empire. The mercury is forecast to soar over 110 degrees in the Coachella Valley, with elevated temperatures also in other parts of Riverside County. This prompts the National Weather Service to issue an "Excessive Heat Warning."

The warning is in effect from 10 a.m. Wednesday to 9 p.m. Friday.

"The lower deserts will see peak heat on Thursday and Friday," the NWS said in a statement. "Highs of 108 to 113 ... will occur during the hottest days."

Despite the early June warm-up, "very few, if any, daily temperature records look to be challenged," the agency stated.

Meteorologists said ridges of high pressure anchored in the western U.S. will govern weather patterns through the latter half of the week, causing hot, dry conditions across the eastern half of the Inland Empire.

From Wednesday to Friday, Palm Springs's highs will be 109 to 111 degrees, with overnight lows generally around 80. Thermal and other locations farther east may be hotter.

In the Riverside metropolitan area, the mercury will settle in the low 90s Wednesday through Friday, dropping to the mid-60s during the nighttime hours.

Forecasters said the Temecula Valley will benefit from coastal marine layers, with highs in the mid-80s and lows in the upper 50s from Wednesday to Friday.

Cooler weather is slated to return to the western county region during the weekend, ushering in the customary "June Gloom," especially during the mornings.

In Palm Desert, here is the forecast for the next seven days, according to the National Weather Service:

Thursday
Sunny and hot, with a high near 110. Light east wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Thursday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 80. Northwest wind around 5 mph.

Friday
Sunny, with a high near 109. Light and variable wind becoming west 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Friday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 78.

Saturday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 107.

Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 77.

Sunday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 105.

Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 76.

Monday
Sunny, with a high near 104.

Monday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 77.

Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 107.