🇺🇸 Indio, California, USA
Does It Rain at Coachella?
Across roughly 15 years of records at the site, rain falls on about 17% of Coachella days, averaging 0.3mm a day.
The short answer
17%
of days see 1mm+
0.3 mm
average per day
Low
mud risk
Rain is the exception rather than the rule here. Mud is rarely the story — dust and sun usually are.
Rain day by day
| Day | Rain | High | Weather score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 10 Apr | 1.8 mm | 30°C | 96% |
| Sat 11 Apr | 0.1 mm | 30°C | 100% |
| Sun 12 Apr | 0.1 mm | 29°C | 100% |
| Fri 17 Apr | 0.0 mm | 31°C | 100% |
| Sat 18 Apr | 0.0 mm | 31°C | 100% |
| Sun 19 Apr | 0.0 mm | 32°C | 100% |
The wettest festival day on average is Fri 10 Apr at 1.8mm; the driest is Fri 17 Apr at 0.0mm. Over the main days that adds up to roughly 2.0mm.
What rain actually does to Coachella
Heat is the dominant factor — sunburn, dehydration and queues at water-refill stations shape how people pace the day. Dust storms occasionally shut stages early, and the sharp temperature drop after sunset catches first-timers in shorts and crop tops off-guard. A hat, electrolytes and a layer for the night ride home are the real essentials.
If the forecast turns wet
- Boots over trainers, and a spare pair of shoes sealed in a bag.
- Rain jacket for walking, poncho for standing in a crowd with a backpack.
- Pitch on the high side of the field, never in a dip, and use a groundsheet.
- Dry bags for phone, power bank, tickets and one full change of clothes.
How we know
These numbers come from the Open-Meteo historical reanalysis at the festival's coordinates, averaged day by day over about 15 years. They describe a typical edition, not the one you're going to — for the live picture, the Coachella forecast page updates twice a day once the event is inside the forecast window.