A few days every year, the Coachella Valley casually reminds everyone that humans were not meant to live here year-round.

When the temperature hits 120 degrees in Palm Springs, normal rules stop applying. Time bends. Priorities shift. Everyone quietly agrees to lower expectations across the board.

This is what actually happens.

1) You Try to Do Everything Before 9 a.m.

Suddenly, waking up at 5 a.m. feels reasonable. Errands, walks, yard work, and life decisions all get shoved into the early morning window.

By 10 a.m., you are already done with the day. Mentally and physically.

2) Shaded Parking Becomes a Competitive Sport

You will circle parking lots longer than necessary for one sliver of shade.

You will remember which trees cast shadows at which hours.

You will judge people who take shaded spots and don’t seem to need them.

3) Calories Stop Counting Entirely

You are not indulging. You are surviving.

Ice cream is medicinal. Cold drinks are self-care. Popsicles are basically hydration.

No one is tracking macros at 120 degrees.

4) Absolutely Nothing Gets Left in the Car

No people. No pets. No chocolate. No soda cans. No groceries you care about.

Anything left behind becomes either molten, exploded, or permanently damaged.

The car is not storage. It is an oven.

5) You Develop an Irrational Hatred of Sunlight

Your home becomes a dark, sealed bunker.

Blinds stay closed. Doors are policed aggressively. Anyone letting hot air inside is treated like a saboteur.

You hiss at brightness.

6) You Learn New Ways to Avoid Touching Hot Surfaces

Steering wheels burn. Seatbelts attack. Door handles betray you.

You master the art of the fingertip test and the “hover grab.”

Car interiors are hostile environments.

7) You Constantly Worry About the Power Going Out

This is the shared, unspoken fear.

You glance at the thermostat. You listen for the AC. You mentally inventory candles, batteries, and ice.

You do not tempt fate by talking about it too loudly.

8) You Secretly Hope Your Workplace Sends You Home

You don’t want anyone to lose money.

You also wouldn’t mind an email that says, “We’re shutting it down for the day.”

Both things can be true.

9) Your Streaming Queue Finally Gets Attention

Outdoor plans are cancelled. Motivation is gone.

This is when shows you’ve ignored for years finally get watched.

The heat turns everyone into an indoor person.

10) Your Social Feed Becomes a Thermometer Competition

Dashboard temps. Bank signs. Gas station readouts.

The temperature doesn’t count unless it’s documented, posted, and confirmed by multiple sources.

Everyone becomes a meteorologist for 48 hours.

The Desert Reality

When it’s 120 degrees, no one is thriving. They are enduring.

Locals don’t pretend otherwise. You slow down, stay inside, hydrate constantly, and wait it out.

The desert always cools off eventually. You just have to survive the reminder first.

Related: 10 things that actually help you survive a desert heatwave