Palm Desert Rain Showers Expected, Winter Storm Watch For IE Mountains

PALM DESERT, CA — Say farewell to the Santa Ana winds and hello to colder, wet winter weather through early next week. Humidity returns to the region throughout Friday and Saturday when rain and mountain snow are expected.

The National Weather Service placed the mountain areas under Winter Storm Watches: The San Bernardino County Mountains from Saturday evening through Tuesday morning and the Riverside County Mountains from Sunday morning through Tuesday morning.

“A return of onshore flow will spread higher coastal humidity inland beginning later today through the weekend. Stronger onshore flow will bring stronger and gusty southwest-to-west winds for the mountains and deserts for Saturday afternoon through Saturday night with gusts to 45 to 55 mph and isolated gusts to 70 mph," the NWS said.

"Not much has changed with the timing and track of the closed low-pressure system from the north for the weekend into early next week. The center of that closed upper-level low-pressure system is expected to move to near Point Conception late in the day on Sunday, then move slowly eastward across southern California on Monday.

There will be increasing chances for showers on Saturday night into Sunday. The snow level will fall to around 4500 feet on Saturday night and around 5000 feet on Sunday.

In Palm Desert, your forecast for the next seven days is as follows:

Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.

Friday night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44. Calm wind.

Saturday
A slight chance of showers after 4pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 66. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 10%.

Saturday Night
Showers likely, mainly after 4am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 44. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Sunday
Showers. High near 58. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Sunday Night
Showers. Low around 41. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Monday
Showers, mainly before 4pm. High near 60. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Monday Night
A chance of showers, mainly before 10pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 40.

Tuesday
A slight chance of showers after 10am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 63.

Tuesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 43.

Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 68.

Wednesday Night
Clear, with a low around 44.

Thursday
Sunny, with a high near 69.