Relief from unprecedented recent heat is finally in sight as the Coachella Valley nears closer to an end of the hottest stretch of March days in its history. But first, residents will have to grit through a few more days with highs in or near triple digits, the National Weather Service says.
Then April should begin with temperatures that will actually feel like, well, April.
How hot will Palm Springs be this weekend?
NWS Meteorologist Kyle Wheeler said recent hot temperatures are expected to continue through the weekend, although the highs are not expected to approach the peaks seen at the end of last week, when Palm Springs and Thermal topped out at 108 degrees, setting new March records.
Instead, Palm Springs was expected to see highs around 98 degrees on Wednesday, March 25, and Thursday, March 26, before the mercury reaches back to 100 degrees on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 27 through 29. Weekend temperatures are expected to be a little hotter on the far eastern side of the valley, with highs of 102 forecast in Thermal on Saturday, March 28, and Sunday, March 29.
That forecast means Coachella Valley cities are likely to flirt with setting more daily temperature records over the course of the week. Wheeler said the forecast highs of 100 both days of the weekend in Palm Springs would tie the March 28 record set just last year and set a new March 29 record.
If Palm Springs outpaces the forecast even slightly, it could set new daily records on other days as well, including Wednesday, when the current record is 100 degrees.
When will we see relief?
Wheeler said daily temperatures will start to turn downward on Monday, March 30, with forecast highs of 94 to 96 degrees.
But the real relief — and a return to temperatures more in line with seasonal averages — will come starting Tuesday, March 31.
“Then from Tuesday onward we really cool down back to pretty much near normal for this time of year: temperatures generally in the eighties for Tuesday and Wednesday and beyond,” Wheeler said.
He said the high-pressure system that’s created a recent “heat dome” over the southwestern United States will be pushed east, while a trough of low pressure that has been centered over the Pacific Ocean moves into California. While that low-pressure system will be centered to the north of the valley, its presence will still significantly moderate temperatures in Southern California.
Wheeler said it remains to be seen how long the period of relatively cooler temperatures will last, but that current models say they should persist through next week.
How hot does it typically get in Palm Springs in April?
Preliminary forecasts suggest that highs could even dip into the upper 70s in the Coachella Valley on Wednesday, April 1. If that happens in Palm Springs, the city will actually start April cooler than the 30-year average high of 82 degrees.
And no, that’s not an April Fool’s joke.
Wheeler added that the average high in Palm Springs for the month of April is 87 degrees, with daily averages reaching into the low 90s by the end of the month. Even average April temperatures, however, would likely feel cool to residents who’ve just been subjected to weeks of unprecedented March heat.Paul Albani-Burgio covers growth, development and business in the Coachella Valley. Email him at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Weather in Palm Springs area to cool next week after long heat wave
Reporting by Paul Albani-Burgio, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
