Desert triple — gypsum dunes, saguaro forest, granite boulders — all before the heat sets in. Desert Southwest in mid-to-late February brings mild, dry, sunny days with cold nights: White Sands highs around 60–65°F with near-freezing overnight lows and frequent afternoon wind; Saguaro/Tucson similarly mild with highs upper 60s–low 70s; Joshua Tree daytime highs in the 60s with nights dropping near or below freezing at higher elevations. Pack layers for all three stops — wind advisories are more disruptive here than rain.
Desert triple — gypsum dunes, saguaro forest, granite boulders — all before the heat sets in. Desert Southwest in mid-to-late February brings mild, dry, sunny days with cold nights: White Sands highs around 60–65°F with near-freezing overnight lows and frequent afternoon wind; Saguaro/Tucson similarly mild with highs upper 60s–low 70s; Joshua Tree daytime highs in the 60s with nights dropping near or below freezing at higher elevations. Pack layers for all three stops — wind advisories are more disruptive here than rain.