Cowboy boots won't be the only things picking up dust this weekend while the Stagecoach country music festival is taking place Friday through Sunday at the Empire Polo Club in Indio.
Strong winds, with gusts up to 30 to 35 mph, are expected Thursday and Friday, leading to cool but dusty conditions in the Coachella Valley, said Alex Tardy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego.
"It's today and Friday when we're going to see repeated winds in the desert," he said.
The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for the Coachella Valley, San Gorgonio Pass area near Banning and the surrounding Riverside County and San Bernardino County mountain areas until 11 p.m. Friday.
The high both Thursday and Friday will be near 80 degrees, which Tardy said is "below normal by over 10 degrees." Temperatures will drop to the upper 50s in the evening.
However, "the weekend's going to (have) lighter winds and warm up back to the upper 80s," Tardy said, which is good news for festivalgoers who will have to brave all the elements out in Indio.
Sunny skies are expected Saturday, with a high near 85 degrees. Windy conditions will still be felt, up to 10 to 15 mph with gusts as high as 25 mph. Temperatures will drop to 60 degrees at night.
Sunday will continue to warm up with temperatures near 89 degrees, before cooling off to around 64 degrees.
Tips for staying healthy at Stagecoach: Face mask, kerchief or bandana
Gusty winds are expected to cause periods of elevated particle pollution levels and blowing dust that may result in air quality index levels that are unhealthy for sensitive groups, South Coast Air Quality Management District officials said some parts of the Coachella Valley reached air quality index levels above 300, which is considered hazardous.
Vincent Devlin, a board certified allergist/immunologist with the Eisenhower Allergy and Immunology Clinic, shared a number of tips Coachella Valley residents and Stagecoach festivalgoers should keep in mind these next few days:
- When the Air Quality Index is above 300, this is hazardous for everyone. People should avoid being outdoors for activity or prolonged periods of time. Levels above 100 are hazardous for sensitive groups. Ask your doctor if you may be in one of these groups that should be more aware of air quality
- Wear a mask when outdoors. This can help minimize the amount of particles that are being inhaled. High quality masks like N95 and KN95 will filter the most particulate matter
- If someone is spending time outdoors, they should use a nasal saline spray or nasal saline lavage (netipot, for example) with distilled water to help to clean out their sinuses (do not use tap water)
- Make sure you are treating your allergies. Try an over-the-counter antihistamine like Allegra, Zyrtec, Xyzal or Claritin, as well as nasal sprays like Flonase and AstePro
- If you have asthma or other respiratory issues, make sure you are taking your inhaler as directed by your doctor and that you don't miss any doses
- If your cough is persistent, make sure you are evaluated by your doctor.
Tardy also reminds festivalgoers to drink plenty of water.
"Even though temperatures are what you might consider cool, there's going to be blowing dust and the air is going to be dry, so it doesn't take long before you're dehydrated," Tardy said.
Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.
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