Last night (Friday) we reported a gust of 47mph @ 9:11pm here in Thousand Palms! Sustained winds for most of the evening were around 35. Visibility was down to a quarter mile at times with the blowing dust! There were also reports of at least 2 incidents of large profile vehicles along Interstate 10 being blown over.

Why is the north valley susceptible to these high winds?
The San Gorgonio Pass is one of the windiest places in California, the winds channel through the pass (via the Venturi Effect) and down the northern part of the valley. April, May, & June are the windiest months for the valley as it starts to heat up and “June Gloom” settles in around Los Angeles and the Inland Empire (San Bernardino). Not necessarily required, but with the help of “June Gloom” a temperature difference is created. With the warmer air rising here, and much cooler temps to the north, the air is pulled in between Mt San Jacinto (10,804ft) and Mt. San Gorgonio (11,499ft) like a vacuum.

Interestingly enough, winds like today can reach 40-50mph along Interstate 10 and just 5 miles south in Palm Desert it can be calm!