Driving in The Coachella Valley can be dangerous enough on a sunny day. But, when you combine the desert with a bit of the wet stuff, then thrown in some snowbirds, the results can be total chaos!
While there are several great websites that give pretty useful general tips for driving in the rain, The Palm Springs Area has some unique challenges. This guide should help:
Everything Will Flood in as Little as 10 Seconds
The Coachella Valley was not built to handle precipitation (it is after all, a desert) – so things can change rapidly on the roadways once the rain starts falling. Roads that have typically flooded in the past (I am talking about you Vista Chino) most likely will again (and again…and again…and again). Plan your route accordingly, then spend your entire workday bitching about how much longer your commute was (even though it was only 5 more minutes).
Barriers are There For a Reason
Every time a road is closed, barriers go up letting motorists know that the road is indeed closed. But, I guess that does not apply to everyone because ‘Murica!
Sure, the local tevee news likes to send their iPad News Team out to stand in front of the barriers in hopes that someone gets stuck behind them (think of the ratings!), but the reason the barriers are there is that your car has a good chance of getting stuck – which sucks a whole lot more than spending a couple of extra minutes driving around.
Your Windshield Wiper Blades are Probably Fucked
If you have yet to change out your blades after the long, hot summer, they are probably toast from baking in 125 degree days. Do it before the rain hits and save yourself the trouble of getting soaked installing new ones in an AutoZone parking lot.
People Lose Their Minds
Since it almost never rains in The Coachella Valley, locals completely lose their shit when it does. People forget to slow down on the roads, television stations completely abandon their yearlong safety campaigns, and some people do really stupid shit like this, this or, even this…
Throw Logic Out the Window
Driving in The Coachella Valley on a normal day is hard enough (do all Canadians not know how to drive or just the ones who come here?) – but on a rainy day things get really crazy. Do not expect anyone on the road to drive like a normal, rational human being would drive. Anything can happen at any moment – so drive with caution.
Good luck out there!
