Beyond day-to-day weather, the Mojave Desert has its own rhythms — seismic activity, wide-open skies, and conditions worth knowing before you head out. This page tracks additional conditions across the region; refresh the page for the latest information.
Monday, September 14
| Sunrise | 6:30 am |
| Sunset | 6:56 pm |
| Moon Phase | Waxing Crescent |
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Weather alerts
No active weather alerts for the Mojave Desert region at this time.
Traffic & road closures
For real-time highway conditions, closures, and chain control requirements on desert travel corridors like I-15, US-395, and SR-58, visit Caltrans QuickMap or call 800-427-7623.
For CHP-reported traffic incidents, visit the CHP Traffic Incident Information Page and select the appropriate area: Bishop (for Death Valley, Boron, California City, Mojave, Ridgecrest, Rosamond, Tehachapi, and Trona), Barstow (for the High Desert and Morongo Basin communities), or Los Angeles/Antelope Valley (for Lancaster, Palmdale, and Quartz Hill).
County-maintained roads are managed separately from state highways. Current closures can be found through each county’s public works department:
- San Bernardino County Road Closures
- Kern County Road Status & Closures
- Los Angeles County Road Closures (unincorporated areas)
Death Valley National Park has experienced severe flash flooding in recent years that closed roads and stranded visitors. Check the park’s own Alerts & Conditions page before traveling there.
Recent earthquakes
| Magnitude | Location | Date & Time |
|---|---|---|
| 2.6 | 6 km W of Edwards Air Force Base, CA | Sep 11, 3:19 am |
| 2.7 | 39 km NE of Big Bear City, CA | Sep 8, 2:15 pm |
| 2.8 | 16 km WSW of Johannesburg, CA | Sep 8, 5:45 am |
Earthquake data provided by the U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov). Shows events of magnitude 2.5 or greater within roughly 90 miles of Barstow over the past 7 days.
For details visit the Southern California Earthquake Data Center
Air quality
The Mojave Desert region falls under the jurisdiction of three separate state air quality districts, each operating its own monitoring stations and responsible for air quality within its boundaries:
- Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District — monitors in Barstow, Hesperia, Phelan, Trona, Twentynine Palms, and Victorville
- Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District — operates a monitoring station at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds in Lancaster
- Eastern Kern Air Pollution Control District — monitors in Canebrake, Mojave, Ridgecrest, and Tehachapi
Together, these districts operate real-time monitoring stations covering 11 of the 23 communities tracked on this page. For areas without a local monitor, AirNow.gov can help identify the nearest available reading.
Because air quality can vary significantly even between nearby desert communities, The Mojave Beat recommends checking the district serving your specific area directly for the most accurate, current information.
Wildfire & emergencies
The Mojave Desert’s dry conditions and remote terrain make wildfire and flash flood awareness especially important. Watch Duty is a free, nonprofit app that provides real-time wildfire and flood tracking, evacuation notices, and shelter information across the western United States, staffed by trained firefighters, dispatchers, and first responders.
To receive official emergency alerts and evacuation notices for your specific area, sign up with the emergency notification system for your county:
- ReadyKern — Kern County (Mojave, California City, Boron, Rosamond, Tehachapi, Trona, and Ridgecrest)
- San Bernardino County Emergency Alerts (TENS) — San Bernardino County (Barstow, Victorville, Adelanto, Apple Valley, Hesperia, Phelan, Lucerne Valley, Baker, Needles, Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms, Yucca Valley)
- Alert LA County — Los Angeles County (Lancaster, Palmdale, Quartz Hill)
Residents of the city of Tehachapi, Bear Valley Springs, and Stallion Springs should sign up for both ReadyKern and Nixle, which local officials use as a more localized notification system for those communities.
Registering with your county’s system, in addition to using Watch Duty, ensures you receive official evacuation orders directly from local emergency authorities.
Weather alert data provided by the National Weather Service (weather.gov). Earthquake data provided by the U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov). Sunrise, sunset, and moon phase are calculated using standard astronomical formulas. Air quality and road closure information is provided by the respective state, county, and federal agencies linked above.
Page last reviewed Sept. 11, 2026.