Welcome to the Mojave Desert and the wonderful community of Twentynine Palms. Ever since my first time here in 1979 I have fallen in love with the raw beauty, power, and constant but subtle changes of this land. Located in Southern California, the Mojave Desert is part of the great desert ecosystem of the southwest and encompasses more than 25,000 square miles. The climate is characterized by extreme daily temperature changes and an average annual precipitation of less then 5 inches. 

Some of the most well known areas are Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley, and the Mojave National Preserve. Other less known areas of interest are Amboy Crater, Mitchell’s Caverns, Hole in the Wall, and the Kelso Depot, just to name a few. All of these are within a days drive from here.

Temps are up... and down... up... and down... and so are the winds. We are transitioning into Summer.  Two weeks ago the high was 96° with the low of 56°. Last week iwe had a few days where the highs never hit 70° and the lows were dipping into the 40°'s. Winds were calm some days with others hitting 60mph.  Let's hope for a stable May. Temps are currently hanging between the mid 80°'s to mid 90°'s for the highs and the 50's to lower 60°'s for the lows. The latest rain was on February 9th with 0.10 inches of rain. The total for 2009 is 0.70 inches. 

As for the night sky there is a meteor shower May 5/6. The Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks before dawn on the 6th and you may see around 60 per hour.  Wait till early morning around 4am to get the best view since the Moon will be setting.