Best Time to Visit Palm Springs: Winter Sunshine (Nov to April), Modernism Week, Coachella & Summer Hacks

Palm Springs flips the traditional North American travel calendar upside down: while the rest of the continent is bundled in winter coats from November through April, Palm Springs is in the middle of its cloudless 22°C to 29°C (72°F to 85°F) Peak Season.

1. Peak Sunshine Season: Late Autumn, Winter & Spring (November to Early May)

• November to February (Winter Escape & 'Modernism Week'): afternoon highs sit at a sunny 21°C to 26°C (70°F to 79°F) with low humidity and cool 9°C to 11°C evenings (ideal for hiking at Indian Canyons and Joshua Tree, while hotel pools are heated to 29°C).
  • Early January: the star-studded Palm Springs International Film Festival.
  • Mid-February (11 Days over Presidents' Day Week): the world-famous Modernism Week (book interior home tours and double-decker bus tickets on 1 November when sales open).
• March & April (Warm Pool Weather, Wildflowers & Major Events): daytime highs climb to 27°C to 32°C (80°F to 90°F) and desert cacti burst into bloom. Note the three major eastern-valley festival weeks in March and April when hotel rates spike: the BNP Paribas Open Tennis Tournament in Indian Wells (first two weeks of March), and the back-to-back weekends of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival & Stagecoach Festival in Indio (mid-to-late April; for standard hotel rates in spring, visit in late March, early April or early May).

2. The 'Golden Shoulder Months' (October & May) vs Summer Desert Heat (June to September)

• Mid-October to Thanksgiving & All of May (Best Value + Warm 31°C Pool Weather): hotel rates are roughly 30% lower than February and March, afternoons reach 30°C to 34°C, evenings stay warm enough to swim after dark, and mid-October hosts the 4-day Modernism Week October.
• Summer (June to Early September, 40°C to 45°C / 104°F to 113°F): summer in the Colorado Desert is intensely hot, yet five-star luxury resorts cut nightly rates by 50% to 65%. When visiting in summer, hike at dawn, ride the Aerial Tramway up to 22°C Mount San Jacinto at midday, float in a chilled resort pool under misting umbrellas in the afternoon, and dine on misted patios after sunset. Check what to wear in Palm Springs.