What to Wear in Palm Springs
United States · 9 monthly packing guides
Palm Springs runs mid-century-modern Sonoran Desert — the heritage 1938 incorporated city in the Coachella Valley at the foot of the San Jacinto Mountains, the recognized capital of mid-century-modern architecture (the heritage Albert Frey + Donald Wexler + Richard Neutra + William Cody desert-modernist canon, 1947–1969). Per NOAA Palm Springs Regional Airport (KPSP) data, February–April afternoons sit at 23–30°C / 73–86°F (the heritage Modernism Week + Coachella shoulder); October–December reset to 21–33°C / 70–91°F with near-zero rain (May–October sees about one rain day a month or fewer). Local register: Trina Turk (the heritage 2002 Palm Canyon Drive flagship — the recognized California-resort prints destination, plus Mr Turk men's), Just Modern (the heritage El Paseo mid-century-modern furniture), the heritage Modernism Show (Palm Springs Convention Center, February), JOOLA + Pickle (the heritage pickleball-resort retail cluster since 2018). Resort imports: Saks Fifth Avenue, Tory Burch, Saint Laurent (El Paseo mile in nearby Palm Desert). Heritage anchors: the 1964 Frey House II (Albert Frey's own hillside house), the heritage 1962 Kaufmann House (Richard Neutra), the heritage 1959 Palm Springs Visitor Center (Albert Frey + Robson Chambers' Tramway Gas Station), the heritage 1963 Aerial Tramway (the Valley Station by Albert Frey and John Porter Clark + the rotating cable car, about ten minutes up to 8,516 ft / 2,596 m). Festivals: Modernism Week (mid-February — the heritage 11-day mid-century festival), Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival (mid-April, Indio 25 miles east), Stagecoach (April, Indio), Palm Springs International Film Festival (early January). The heritage Frank Sinatra–Dean Martin–Sammy Davis Jr. Rat Pack lived at the heritage Twin Palms (1947 E. Stewart Williams modernist Sinatra residence). In winter the Tramway's Mountain Station typically sees snow from November through April.
Choose your month below to match your layers and shoes to the weather. Across the months covered, average daily lows reach 8°C / 46°F in December; average highs reach 43°C / 109°F in July.
Compare Palm Springs by month
Monthly averages help compare packing needs; check the forecast before departure. Only months with published guides are listed. See the source notes below for station and measurement differences. Scroll across the table to see all weather details on a small screen.
| Month | Average low | Average high | Rain days | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January packing guide | 9°C / 48°F | 21°C / 70°F | 3 | 10h 10m |
| February packing guide | 10°C / 50°F | 23°C / 73°F | 3 | 11h |
| April packing guide | 15°C / 59°F | 30°C / 86°F | 1 | 13h |
| May packing guide | 19°C / 66°F | 35°C / 95°F | 1 | 13h 50m |
| June packing guide | 23°C / 73°F | 40°C / 104°F | 0 | 14h 25m |
| July packing guide | 26°C / 79°F | 43°C / 109°F | 1 | 14h 10m |
| August packing guide | 27°C / 81°F | 42°C / 108°F | 1 | 13h 25m |
| October packing guide | 18°C / 64°F | 33°C / 91°F | 1 | 11h 30m |
| December packing guide | 8°C / 46°F | 21°C / 70°F | 3 | 9h 55m |
Choose your Palm Springs packing list
Palm Springs in January: 21°C / 70°F days, 9°C / 48°F nights, and twelve days of film festival that open with a black-tie gala.
In this capsule: Black velvet blazer, shawl lapel; Black floor-length gown, mock neck, sleeveless; Black patent pumps, pointed toe, mid heel.
Palm Springs in February is peak Modernism Week — 23°C / 73°F afternoons, 10°C / 50°F nights, 3 rain days.
In this capsule: Trina Turk graphic-print shift dress or A-line midi; Lightweight cotton or linen wide-leg pant + cotton tee; K Jacques Saint-Tropez or Ancient Greek Sandals leather sandal.
Palm Springs in April is Coachella weekends 1+2 + Stagecoach — 30°C / 86°F afternoons, 15°C / 59°F nights, 1 rain day.
In this capsule: Lightweight cotton sundress + Free People crochet top + Reformation backless slip dress; Lucchese 2000 or Tecovas cowboy boot + Larroudé Dolly platform sandal; Lack of Color wide-brim cowboy hat or Janessa Leoné fedora.
Palm Springs in May is post-Coachella heat-shoulder + early-summer poolside — 35°C / 95°F afternoons, 19°C / 66°F nights, 1 rain day.
In this capsule: Trina Turk graphic-print shift dress or A-line midi; Lightweight cotton or linen wide-leg pant + cotton tee; K Jacques Saint-Tropez or Ancient Greek Sandals leather sandal.
Palm Springs in June: average high 40°C / 104°F, low 23°C / 73°F, and 0 rain days.
In this capsule: Light printed dress or cotton midi; Comfortable sandals for town or the hotel; Sun hat and sunglasses.
Palm Springs in July: average high 43°C / 109°F, low 26°C / 79°F, and 1 rain day.
In this capsule: Light printed dress or cotton midi; Comfortable sandals for town or the hotel; Sun hat and sunglasses.
Palm Springs in August: average high 42°C / 108°F, low 27°C / 81°F, and 1 rain day.
In this capsule: Light printed dress or cotton midi; Comfortable sandals for town or the hotel; Sun hat and sunglasses.
Palm Springs in October: light clothes for the desert floor, plus a separate plan if you go up the mountain.
In this capsule: Trina Turk graphic-print shift dress or A-line midi; Lightweight cotton or linen wide-leg pant + cotton tee; K Jacques Saint-Tropez or Ancient Greek Sandals leather sandal.
Palm Springs in December: 21°C / 70°F afternoons, 8°C / 46°F nights, and a ten-minute tram ride into the mountain's snow season.
In this capsule: Tan suede jacket, cropped, with fringe; Sage cotton cardigan, cropped, crew neck; Chocolate-brown down jacket, stand collar.
Climate sources by month
These credits follow the source recorded on each monthly guide. Climate figures inform the packing advice; outfit combinations and illustrations are editorial suggestions.
- January: NOAA NCEI · Palm Springs Regional Airport (KPSP) · 1991–2020 normalsNOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals for USW00093138, computed from 20–22 years of record rather than 30 (completeness flags R and P). Rain days count 0.01 in (0.25 mm) or more.
- February: NOAA · Palm Springs Regional Airport (KPSP) · 1991–2020 normalsSonoran Desert — measurable rain is close to zero from May through October.
- April: NOAA · Palm Springs Regional Airport (KPSP) · 1991–2020 normalsSonoran Desert — measurable rain is close to zero from May through October.
- May: NOAA · Palm Springs Regional Airport (KPSP) · 1991–2020 normalsSonoran Desert — measurable rain is close to zero from May through October.
- June: NOAA · Palm Springs Regional Airport (KPSP) · 1991–2020 normalsSonoran Desert — measurable rain is close to zero from May through October.
- July: NOAA · Palm Springs Regional Airport (KPSP) · 1991–2020 normalsSonoran Desert — measurable rain is close to zero from May through October.
- August: NOAA · Palm Springs Regional Airport (KPSP) · 1991–2020 normalsSonoran Desert — measurable rain is close to zero from May through October.
- October: NOAA · Palm Springs Regional Airport (KPSP) · 1991–2020 normalsSonoran Desert — measurable rain is close to zero from May through October.
- December: NOAA NCEI · Palm Springs Regional Airport (KPSP) · 1991–2020 normalsNOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals for USW00093138, computed from 22–23 years of record rather than 30 (completeness flags R and P). Rain days count 0.01 in (0.25 mm) or more.
Frequently asked questions
Start with your travel month. The 9 published guides cover January, February, April, May, June, July, August, October, December. Compare the average low as well as the high: among these months, December has the lowest average low at 8°C / 46°F, while July has the highest average high at 43°C / 109°F. For a trip spanning two months, read both lists before deciding which layers to bring.
No. They are monthly climate averages for planning, not temperatures promised for a particular day or hour. Check the local forecast close to departure and adjust your layers and rain protection. The source, station and averaging period are listed for each month where recorded; different stations or rain-day definitions can affect comparisons.
No. Treat the capsule as a set of clothing functions: walking shoes, a base outfit, weather protection and any change for dinner or a venue's dress code. Start with equivalents you own. Adjust quantities to your trip length and laundry access; the illustrations are outfit suggestions, not a shopping requirement.