An air quality alert and dust advisory have been issued for Riverside County by the National Weather Service, with temperatures expected to reach triple digits again Tuesday in some areas and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the deserts and mountains.
In the Coachella Valley, an excessive heat warning will remain in effect until at least 8 p.m. Thursday due to temperatures expected to range from 110 to 114 degrees in the areas of Cathedral City, Palm Desert Country, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Springs, Palm Desert and Coachella.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued an air quality alert that will be in effect through 7 p.m. Tuesday throughout all of Riverside County due to high levels of smog.
A windblown dust advisory was also issued by the SCAQMD until 9 a.m. Wednesday due to air quality index expected to reach unhealthy or higher values in the areas of Indio, Palm Springs, Mecca, Cathedral City and the San Gorgonio Pass.
Record minimum temperatures were reported in parts of Riverside County for Sunday. It was 71 in Riverside, breaking the record of 69 set in 2022, 70 in Lake Elsinore, breaking the record of 68 set in 1905, 72 in San Jacinto, breaking the record of 69 set in 2022, and 87 in Palm Springs, breaking the record of 84 set in 2021.
The high in the Inland Empire is expected to reach 97 Tuesday. It will be 111 in Palm Springs and highs will be around 110 in the Coachella Valley. It will be windy with a high of 96 in the mountain communities.
A strong ridge of high pressure backing into the Great Basin of Utah and Nevada from the east is influencing weather patterns. However, it’s somewhat counterbalanced by low-pressure troughs spinning off of Tropical Storm Alberto that made landfall in northeastern Mexico last week, according to the weather service.
The moisture will produce cloud cover across desert areas, keeping temps in check and possibly fueling scattered thunderstorms in the eastern Coachella Valley, as well as the Palo Verde Valley, through the weekend, meteorologists said.