12-03-2025
How much rain did the Coachella Valley and mountains get Tuesday?
Tuesday's light rain led to a total of four delays at the BNP Paribas Open, postponing matches for a combined 5 hours and 22 minutes. However, the National Weather Service in San Diego said that while there was a little bit of precipitation, it was not enough to be measurable on the desert floor across the Coachella Valley.
However, four weather stations in the Coachella Valley recorded rainfall, which originated from the East Pacific storm: Lower Tahquitz Creek and Palm Canyon Creek each measured .08 inches, Cathedral Canyon recorded .05 inches and the Palm Springs International Airport reported .01 inches.
Since the start of the winter season on Oct. 1, Palm Springs has recorded 1.26 inches of rainfall — all of which has occurred since Jan. 1, said Brandt Maxwell, an NWS meteorologist. The average is 3.67 inches.
"There's dry and then there's very dry," Maxwell said, "and obviously, the Coachella Valley is in the latter category."
Light snow fell near Big Bear, but it didn't accumulate much. The Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam, which has been monitoring a pair of bald eagles welcoming three eaglets, also captured snow flurries, though conditions remained mild, Maxwell said. Snow fell above 6,000 feet, but it wasn't enough to create hazardous travel conditions.
But that could change late Wednesday, Maxwell said, as a weather system near the Gulf of Alaska, bringing a lot of cold air, makes its way toward California, dropping snow levels to between 3,000 and 4,000 feet by Thursday afternoon.
Light showers are expected in the Coachella Valley with the main system arriving Wednesday night through Thursday night, bringing .20 to .50 inches of rain to the desert floor.
Windy conditions are expected through Thursday, "nothing we haven't seen before," Maxwell said. However, near the mountain passes, especially through the San Gorgonio Pass, high-profile vehicles, which are more susceptible to wind, could face difficulties on I-10.
Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs weather: How much rain did the desert get Tuesday?
