Strong winds, possible rain expected in Coachella Valley. Will it affect BNP Paribas?
Strong winds and possible rain showers are in the forecast for the Coachella Valley, which could impact play at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells over the next few days.
A wind advisory remains in effect until 2 p.m. Thursday in the Coachella Valley. North winds are estimated to be 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph. Drivers need to use extra caution on the road, as reduced visibility is expected from blowing sand.
Additionally, the South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a windblown dust advisory until 6 p.m. Thursday. The impacted areas include Redlands Beaumont, Desert Hot Springs, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Indio and Mecca.
AQMD officials said the wind is expected to result in air quality index levels that are unhealthy or worse because of blowing dust. The agency advised the public to limit exposure by remaining indoors with windows and doors closed and avoid vigorous physical activity.
What roads are closed in the Palm Springs area?
Gene Autry Trail reopened Thursday afternoon after a multi-day closure. No other road closures have been announced for Palm Springs.
IID power outage affects Desert Hot Springs
An outage on Thursday knocked out power to more than 1,000 Imperial Irrigation District customers in the Desert Hot Springs area.
The utility alerted the public at 6:52 a.m. Thursday that 1,014 customers in the Desert Hot Springs and Sky Valley area were without power due to an operational and supply issue due to wind.
By 9:45 a.m., nearly all power was restored to customers, but crews remained on the scene to work on restoring power to the remaining 51 customers, according to IID.
“Estimated time of restoration is unknown,” IID officials wrote in a statement. “Thank you for your patience.”
The IID provides electricity to more than 150,000 customers in parts of Riverside and San Diego counties, and all of Imperial County.
When is it expected to rain in Palm Springs area? Weekend forecast
Alex Tardy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego, said moisture will come in from the east, and the threat for showers will be present as early as Friday morning. But he said heavier showers are more likely to happen Friday afternoon.
"It's hard to say if it'll be enough to cause any delays on Friday because a lot of the showers will probably be up in the foothills and surrounding (the area), so you may get lucky on Friday," Tardy said.
Rain paused and suspended play at the tennis tournament on March 6 and 7.
Another threat of showers could continue Friday night and Saturday.
"It's one of those days where you're going to need to watch the sky closely," Tardy added. "If you do get a shower, it's going to feel like it came out of nowhere."
The storm is going through Utah and into Arizona and is backing up toward southern California, Tardy explained. Because it is so close to the region, "we're going to get the backside of it," which explains the strong winds on Thursday.
The storm will weaken by Sunday, and a sunny day is expected with a high temperature of 75 degrees in Palm Springs.
The BNP Paribas Open continues through Sunday.
Contributing: City News Service
Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs area weather: Strong winds, rain forecast into weekend
