Editing Palm Desert, California (section)

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has an area of {{convert|27.0|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|26.8|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.2|sqmi|km2}} (0.76%) is water.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}

The elevation (at City Hall) is {{convert|224|ft|m}} above sea level. Elevations vary from the lower northern half once covered in sand dunes to the upper slope southern cove ({{convert|300|-|900|ft|m|disp=or}}) all the way to the ridgeline at {{convert|1000|ft|m}}. Palm Desert is in the Coachella Valley, the northwestern extension of the [[Sonoran Desert]].

===Climate===
The Coachella Valley's climate is influenced by high mountain ranges on three sides and a south-sloping valley floor contribute to its year-round warmth. Its winters are among the warmest in the western U.S. Palm Desert has a [[hot desert climate]]: its average annual high temperature is {{convert|88|°F}} and average annual low is {{convert|64|°F}}, but summer highs above {{convert|108|°F}} are common and sometimes exceed {{convert|120|°F}}, while summer night lows often stay above {{convert|82|°F}}. Winters are warm with daytime highs between {{convert|70|-|82|°F|°C}}. Under {{convert|3|in|mm}} of annual precipitation is average, with over 348 days of sunshine per year. The mean annual temperature at {{convert|76.0|°F}} makes Palm Desert one of the warmest places in the country. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Palm Desert was {{convert|125|°F}} on July 6, 1905.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ca4259|title=Indio Fire Station, California – Climate Summary|work=dri.edu}}</ref>

{{Weather box|location = Palm Desert, California (Indio Fire STN) elev. {{convert|10|ft|1}} (1991–2020)
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F =  97
|Feb record high F = 100
|Mar record high F = 103
|Apr record high F = 109
|May record high F = 117
|Jun record high F = 123
|Jul record high F = 125
|Aug record high F = 121
|Sep record high F = 122
|Oct record high F = 115
|Nov record high F = 101
|Dec record high F =  93
|year record high F =125
|Jan high F =  70.3
|Feb high F =  73.3
|Mar high F =  79.9
|Apr high F =  85.8
|May high F =  93.1
|Jun high F = 101.7
|Jul high F = 105.8
|Aug high F = 105.2
|Sep high F = 100.8
|Oct high F =  90.5
|Nov high F =  78.0
|Dec high F =  68.8
|year high F = 87.8
|Jan mean F = 58.6
|Feb mean F = 62.2
|Mar mean F = 68.5
|Apr mean F = 74.5
|May mean F = 81.2
|Jun mean F = 89.2
|Jul mean F = 94.1
|Aug mean F = 93.8
|Sep mean F = 88.7
|Oct mean F = 78.1
|Nov mean F = 65.5
|Dec mean F = 57.0
|year mean F = 76.0
|Jan low F = 46.8
|Feb low F = 51.0
|Mar low F = 57.2
|Apr low F = 63.1
|May low F = 69.3
|Jun low F = 76.6
|Jul low F = 82.5
|Aug low F = 82.5
|Sep low F = 76.5
|Oct low F = 65.8
|Nov low F = 53.0
|Dec low F = 45.3
|year low F =64.1
|Jan record low F = 13
|Feb record low F = 20
|Mar record low F = 25
|Apr record low F = 33
|May record low F = 38
|Jun record low F = 45
|Jul record low F = 59
|Aug record low F = 56
|Sep record low F = 46
|Oct record low F = 31
|Nov record low F = 23
|Dec record low F = 19
|year record low F =13
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.65
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.59
|Mar precipitation inch = 0.32
|Apr precipitation inch = 0.07
|May precipitation inch = 0.02
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.00
|Jul precipitation inch = 0.05
|Aug precipitation inch = 0.26
|Sep precipitation inch = 0.13
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.15
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.19
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.49
|year precipitation inch =2.92
|source 1 = www.ncdc.noaa.gov<ref>{{cite web | author=NOAA | title=1991–2020 Monthly Normals for Indio CA Fire STN | url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00044259&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220608095644/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00044259&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL | url-status=dead | archive-date=June 8, 2022 | publisher=NOAA | access-date=June 8, 2022 }}</ref>
|date=June 2022}}

The surrounding mountains create a thermal belt<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ocw.usu.edu/forest__range__and_wildlife_sciences/wildland_fire_management_and_planning/Unit_3__Topography___Fire_Behavior_9.html |title=Unit 3: Topography & Fire Behavior — Free Online Course Materials — USU OpenCourseWare |access-date=September 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121124052849/http://ocw.usu.edu/Forest__Range__and_Wildlife_Sciences/Wildland_Fire_Management_and_Planning/Unit_3__Topography___Fire_Behavior_9.html |archive-date=November 24, 2012  }}</ref> in the southern foothills of Palm Desert, namely Cahuilla Hills and Bighorn, leading to a micro-climate with significantly warmer night-time temperatures during the winter months. The [[University of California]] maintains weather stations located in this thermal belt as part of their ecological project in the [[Philip L. Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center]].

{{Weather box
|location = South Palm Desert, California elev. {{convert|980|ft|1}} (Boyd Deep Canyon Ctr) 1981–2010
|single line = Y
|Jan high F =  69.6
|Feb high F =  72.0
|Mar high F =  77.5
|Apr high F =  84.6
|May high F =  92.5
|Jun high F =  100.8
|Jul high F =  104.4
|Aug high F =  104.0
|Sep high F =  99.1
|Oct high F =  88.7
|Nov high F =  77.0
|Dec high F =  68.5
|year high F = 86.6
|Jan mean F = 60.4
|Feb mean F = 62.6
|Mar mean F = 66.8
|Apr mean F = 72.6
|May mean F = 79.4
|Jun mean F = 86.9
|Jul mean F = 91.5
|Aug mean F = 91.8
|Sep mean F = 87.5
|Oct mean F = 78.4
|Nov mean F = 67.5
|Dec mean F = 59.4
|year mean F = 75.4
|Jan low F = 51.1
|Feb low F = 53.1
|Mar low F = 56.1
|Apr low F = 60.6
|May low F = 66.2
|Jun low F = 73.0
|Jul low F = 78.6
|Aug low F = 79.5
|Sep low F = 75.9
|Oct low F = 68.0
|Nov low F = 57.9
|Dec low F = 50.2
|year low F =64.2
|precipitation colour=green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.86
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.86
|Mar precipitation inch = 0.56
|Apr precipitation inch = 0.16
|May precipitation inch = 0.07
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.02
|Jul precipitation inch = 0.44
|Aug precipitation inch = 0.59
|Sep precipitation inch = 0.53
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.24
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.44
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.69
|year precipitation inch =5.52
|source 1 = deepcanyon.ucnrs.org<ref>{{cite web | author=University of California | title=Weather Data at Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center | url=http://deepcanyon.ucnrs.org/weather/Boyd-ctr-long-term-temps.xls | publisher=University of California; Temperatures normalized for period from 1981-2010 | access-date=September 7, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728141347/http://deepcanyon.ucnrs.org/weather/Boyd-Ctr-long-term-temps.xls | archive-date=July 28, 2011 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref>
}}