The temperature in Palm Springs soared to 117 degrees Sunday afternoon, giving the city its hottest day of the year so far, according to National Weather Service data.
While that temperature was enough to make Sunday the hottest day of 2025, the high fell a few degrees shy of the record high for June 15.
NWS meteorologist Sam Zuber said the record high temperature of 120 degrees at Palm Springs International Airport was set in 2021. That temperature was only four degrees shy of the city’s all-time high of 124 degrees, which was set last year on Independence Day.
Prior to Sunday, the highest temperature so far in June had been 110 degrees set twice on June 8 and June 9. The average high temperature for June 15 is 105 degrees but will climb to 107 degrees by the end of the month.
Zuber said the unseasonable heat is a result of a large area of high pressure settled over the southwestern United States and stretching from California to the four corners region.
Windy forecast will add to the discomfort around desert
As if the heat wasn’t oppressive enough, another familiar weather challenge was also brewing across the Coachella Valley. South Coast AQMD issued an air quality alert Sunday afternoon that warned that strong winds could result in blowing dust and unhealthy air quality through 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
The warning stated that gusts of up to 50 mph are expected in the wind-prone San Gorgonio Pass, while gusts of 25 to 35 mph are expected in both Palm Springs and Indio although some areas in between were expected to see lighter winds.
While gusts of above 40 mph had already been recorded at Whitewater on Sunday afternoon, the winds were only just starting to pick up in most of the rest of the valley. South Coast AQMD’s online air quality map showed the air in the vast majority of the valley as rated “moderate” as of around 4 p.m. Sunday.
Desert residents can expect only limited relief in the coming days, Zuber said, with temperatures of above 110 degrees expected on Monday and then again on Wednesday before things gradually cool going into next weekend. Highs of 104 and 102 degrees are expected in Palm Springs next Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Paul Albani-Burgio covers growth, development and business in the Coachella Valley. Follow him on Twitter at @albaniburgiop and email him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs sees hottest day of 2025 but misses reaching daily record
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