Where is Obama? Somewhere warmer than D.C.

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — Former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, arrived in Rancho Mirage around 8 p.m. PT Friday after inclement weather changed their travel plans.

Their 10-car motorcade pulled into the gated community of Thunderbird Heights while three dozen onlookers cheered through a downpour of rain.

Dozens of people in Palm Springs waited hours to glimpse the former president and first lady, but their hopes were dashed when a storm system diverted the Obamas’ flight from its planned trajectory, said Tom Nolan, executive director of the Palm Springs International Airport.

They landed instead at March Air Reserve Base near Riverside, Calif., around 5:45 p.m. PT.

The Obamas headed to the Coachella Valley for a post-presidential vacation, following the inauguration of Donald Trump in Washington, D.C.

About an hour before rerouting to Riverside, the Obamas’ plane circled the valley for 40 minutes, attempting to land at the Palm Springs airport twice, according to air traffic control transmissions.

Onlookers waited under the cover of umbrellas and raincoats near the airport to watch the former president arrive in Palm Springs.

Roughly two dozen people hid under the eaves of the Palm Springs Air Museum adjacent to the airport for nearly two hours, waiting to glimpse the former president and first lady. A staff member at the museum said they had received more phone calls about the Obamas’ arrival on Friday than any other previous visit while they were in the White House.

Inside the Palm Springs airport at gate 15, an impromptu Obama-landing watch party broke out amongst travelers waiting to catch their own flights. About a dozen people crowded against the window of the terminal, all chatting about when they thought the plane would land.

One of those onlookers, Susan Walker from Phoenix, said she was excited to see the Obamas, whom she called “fabulous people,” after a “tough day” for many Americans.

“I think they’re people to look up to and respect and I think Michelle is the most amazing woman we’ve ever had in the White House,” said Walker, who has a 21-year-old daughter. “She’s the kind of woman I want my daughter to grow up to be.”

Nadine Briggs, who was flying to San Francisco, said she was thrilled to find out the Obamas were scheduled to fly into Palm Springs during the week she was staying in the valley.

“I just wanna hug them and say, ‘Thank you,’” she said. “What a way to go out. They’re so classy.”

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Outside in the wind and rain, hundreds of Obama supporters lined Ramon Road and Kirk Douglas Way near the Palm Springs airport.

“We just want to wish him well, and thank him for Obamacare and everything else he’s done for us,” said Yasmin Espinoza, crouching under an umbrella. “He’s been an amazing president – amazing.”

A crowd of people also gathered in the rain outside Thunderbird Heights, a ritzy, secluded neighborhood in Rancho Mirage where the Obamas have stayed several times during previous visits. Police vehicles circled the area in anticipation of the Obamas’ expected arrival at the Palm Springs airport.

Although the former president and first lady arrived hours later than expected, they were greeted by a small group of about a dozen supporters, who withstood chilly rain, to welcome their motorcade.

Among those supporters was Adrianna Canizales, a Palm Desert High freshman.

Canizales said President Obama has been an inspiration, who proved that any barrier could be shattered. She carried flowers for Michelle Obama, an “always elegant” role model.

“I want them to know that we care,” she said. “That we appreciate all they have done.”

Around 1 p.m., shortly before the desert rain picked up, Obama tweeted: “Michelle and I are off on a quick vacation, then we’ll get back to work.”

The Obamas departed Joint Base Andrews in Maryland around 10:45 a.m. Pacific time. Michelle Obama also tweeted after leaving the nation’s capital, saying, “After an extraordinary 8 years, I’ll be taking a little break. Will be back before you know it to work with you on the issues we care about.”

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest confirmed the Obamas would make Palm Springs their first stop after leaving office.

“The president vowed to take his family to a destination that is warmer than Washington, D.C. on Friday and Palm Springs fits the bill,” Earnest said. “This is a community that the president has visited on a number of occasions as president of the United States. He and his family have enjoyed the time they’ve spent there in the past. And they’re looking forward to traveling there on Friday.”

Before departing for the Coachella Valley, Obama thanked supporters gathered at the Maryland base, saying that they “proved the power of hope.”

He said he and Michelle have sometimes been the “voice out front” but his push for changes in the country that began with his 2008 presidential campaign “has never been about us. It has always been about you.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.