Season guide · Palm Springs · United States
Palm Springs in spring
March–May: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Pictured: Mount San Jacinto State Park, Palm Springs · Photo: Binksternet, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Warm, bright days, wildflowers in good years and the big Indio festivals, with temperatures climbing steeply through May. Expect highs up to 36°C (97°F) and lows around 12°C (54°F), with about 3 rainy days across March–May. March–April are among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- March–May
- Temperatures
- 12°C (54°F) to 36°C (97°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 3
- Crowds
- Busy
- Hotel prices
- High
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Weather in spring
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 27°C (81°F) | 12°C (54°F) | 2 | 11.9 h | 5/5 |
| April | 31°C (88°F) | 15°C (59°F) | 1 | 13 h | 5/5 |
| May | 36°C (97°F) | 19°C (66°F) | 0 | 13.9 h | 3/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 31°C (88°F) against a yearly 32°C (90°F), and 3 of the year's roughly 19 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 4/5 and hotel prices 4/5 on average.
What's on in spring
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- March: BNP Paribas Open tennis at Indian Wells (usually March)
- April: Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio (usually two weekends in April)
- April: Stagecoach country music festival in Indio (usually late April)
Make the most of the weather
Experience · Chino Canyon
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
Rotating tram cars climb from the Valley Station in Chino Canyon to the Mountain Station at about 2,600 metres, crossing roughly 4 km of cliffs in around ten minutes while the floor turns slowly so every passenger gets the full view.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Nature · San Jacinto Mountains
Mount San Jacinto State Park
Pick up the free wilderness permit at the ranger station below the Mountain Station before any hike beyond the short loops, and start the summit trail early.
- Time needed
- 2 hours to a full day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Active
- Outdoors
- Views
Nature · Agua Caliente Reservation
Indian Canyons
On the ancestral lands of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Palm Canyon holds one of the largest California fan palm oases in the world, with a trail descending from the Trading Post at Hermit's Bench.
- Time needed
- 2–4 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Kids
- History
- Photo spot
Nature · South of downtown
Tahquitz Canyon
Visit in winter or early spring, when snowmelt and rain mean the waterfall is actually flowing; by late summer it can be a trickle.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Active
- Outdoors
- History
Garden · South Palm Springs
Moorten Botanical Garden
Founded in 1938 by Patricia and Chester 'Cactus Slim' Moorten, this compact family-run garden on South Palm Canyon Drive packs thousands of desert plants from around the world into walking paths around their 1920s house.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
- Photo spot
Day trips in spring
- Joshua Tree National Park (About 1 hour to the West Entrance) — Two deserts meet in this national park: the higher Mojave with its forests of Joshua trees and granite boulder piles at Hidden Valley and Jumbo Rocks, and the lower Colorado Desert with the Cholla Cactus Garden.
- Pioneertown (About 50 minutes) — Built in the 1940s as a living film set for Westerns, Pioneertown's Mane Street still has false-front buildings and a frontier atmosphere in the high desert above Yucca Valley.
What to pack
- Light, breathable clothes, a sun hat and high-factor sunscreen
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is spring a good time to visit Palm Springs?
Yes: March–April are among the best months. Warm, bright days, wildflowers in good years and the big Indio festivals, with temperatures climbing steeply through May.
+What is the weather like in Palm Springs in spring?
Highs of up to 36°C (97°F) and lows around 12°C (54°F), with about 3 rainy days over the season.