Looking East

It's sunnier longer in the East Valley at dusk in the afternoons all year long than it is in the West Valley (Palm Springs) because of the mountain's shadow.

Here's some food for thought. If you're a visitor to the Coachella Valley, know that the sun stays out longer the further east you go. That's because the huge San Jacinto mountain is west of here, casting a huge shadow to the east over the West Valley (Palm Springs).

What does this mean in terms of the weather in the Coachella Valley? In the winter the sun goes behind the mountain early (about 4 p.m. during the winter solstice), causing Palm Springs to get cooler earlier in the evening then, say, Palm Desert where the sun isn't seen setting until 5 p.m.

In the summer, there is a larger relief from the heat in Palm Springs close to the mountain than there is the further east you go (away from the mountain).  The resorts under the mountain's shadow (close to Palm Canyon) are actually cooler in the afternoon than those that lie to the east.

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