It was no hurricane, but Palm Springs recorded its first measurable rainfall in several months Sunday, Sept. 6, with the gray weather expected to give way to more typical sunny skies through the rest of the week.
The Palm Springs International Airport recorded 0.01 inches of rainfall early Sunday morning, with the potential for a bit more through the rest of the day.
That was the first measurable rainfall at the airport’s weather station since mid-February, when the city saw about a third of an inch of rain, according to Sam Zuber, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s San Diego office. (A trace of rainfall was also recorded in April, but not enough to be measured.)
As of 8 a.m. Sunday, most of the Coachella Valley had seen about
a hundredth of an inch, though some foothill areas may have seen totals closer to 0.05 inches, Zuber said.
More rain showers were possible in the desert region into early Sunday afternoon, though the system was expected to peter out by sunset. The cloudy conditions Sunday were expected to keep the high in Palm Springs below 100 degrees.
The system was produced through “an influx of moisture” associated with a hurricane that stayed in the Pacific Ocean, away from California’s coast.
“It’s very far away, but it’s still close enough that we can get some light rainfall associated with it,” Zuber said.
Palm Springs weather forecast
The rest of the week was expected to bring typically sunny and hot conditions to the valley, with high temperatures projected to reach 105 degrees on Tuesday and approach 110 degrees on Thursday, according to Zuber.
While the valley has seen some increased humidity this summer, it’s unclear whether the weekend rain will help clear any of that out, according to Zuber. She noted the eastern Pacific Ocean has seen plenty of storm activity that, paired with warmer sea surface temperatures near the coast, produced muggier conditions.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say this rainfall that’s coming right now is going to kick out that humidity,” Zuber said.
Tom Coulter is a reporter for The Desert Sun. Reach him at thomas.coulter@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs sees first measurable rain in months. Is more coming?
