Palm Desert Winter Winds Expected As Santa Anas Return: What To Know

PALM DESERT, CA — The first week of December started warm, with winds predicted toward the weekend, according to the National Weather Service forecasts.

A "moderate" Santa Ana wind event was expected to sweep the Inland Empire toward the end of this week, though meteorologists remain uncertain about the likely intensity of the winds.

"For Friday onward, offshore flow looks to return as another area of high pressure aloft builds in the eastern Pacific," the NWS said in a recent statement. "This favors another multi-day round of Santa Anas, as well as another warming trend that pushes daily highs roughly 5 to 10 degrees warmer than normal."

Forecast charts published by the NWS showed high-pressure ridges ringing California by Friday night, including one over the Great Basin in Nevada and Utah, influencing wind patterns through Sunday.

"Models currently support a more moderate Santa Ana event on Saturday and Sunday across areas susceptible to easterly winds, so namely across more of the Riverside and San Diego County mountains and foothills," the Weather Service stated.

Forecasters could not yet predict the strength of the gusts, and no wind advisories had been issued as of Monday.

According to the NWS, sunny and warmer conditions are anticipated throughout the week regionally, with highs in the Riverside metropolitan area around 80 degrees Monday to Wednesday and cooling down into the low 70s Thursday and Friday. Daytime temps for the weekend were expected to be generally the same, with lows this week in the upper 40s.

The temperature band was expected to be about the same for the Coachella Valley, with highs peaking in the low 80s and overnight lows in the mid to upper 50s for the week.

In the Temecula Valley, the highs Monday to Wednesday are expected to hover in the mid 70s, then drop to the upper 60s for the balance of the week, with nighttime lows around 50.

Palm Desert, CA's Weekly Weather Forecast

Monday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Monday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 56. West wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 79. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Tuesday Night
Clear, with a low around 57. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph.

Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 80. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 55.

Thursday
Sunny, with a high near 77.

Thursday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 52.

Friday
Sunny, with a high near 73.

Friday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 49.

Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 71.

Saturday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 49.

Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 74.