Death Valley National Park Weather

National Weather Service Links for Death Valley Area

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Death Valley Area Weather Forecast

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Climate History

Death Valley is one of the hottest places in the world. Air temperatures over 120 °F (49 °C) are common during the summer months of June, July, August and September. The record high in the park was recorded in 1913 at a blazing 134 °F (57 °C). This is the second highest temperature ever recorded on earth; a temperature of 136 °F (58 °C) was taken in Libya in 1922. Since it is often up to four degrees hotter near Badwater than it is near Furnace Creek where the official record was recorded, it is entirely likely that Death Valley should hold the title as the hottest place on Earth.

Fortunately, temperatures from November through March are mild with highs averaging in the 60s and 70s (15-25) with winter nighttime lows usually in the 40s. This makes the winter and early spring the best seasons to visit.

Very little rain falls in the valley, but rainfall in the mountains often sends floodwaters roaring down narrow canyons, scouring boulders, rocks and soil along the way and eventually depositing them in the valley. These deposits are evident in the form of gigantic alluvial fans seen throughout the valley. Many of these fans reach over a mile wide and are the product of hundreds and thousands of years of this process. The granular structure of these fans is also interesting to note as you will commonly see the larger boulders near the top of these structures and as you go further and further down, the granularity becomes finer and finer until it terminates in the salts on the valley floor.

The higher elevations of the Panamint Range reach up to 11,049 feet (3,368 m) at Telescope Peak and are usually covered with snow from November to May, making a breathtaking backdrop to this unique desert climate.

A land of extremes and superlatives, there are locations within the park that allow the visitor to see both the lowest and highest elevations in the 48 contiguious United States on a clear day. At 282 feet below sea level, Badwater is the lowest point; only 76 miles away, Mt. Whitney at 14,505 feet is the highest. Death Valley features the hottest recorded temperature, the lowest annual precipitation, the tallest sand dunes, and at 13,628 square kilometers, is the largest National Park in the 48 contiguous United States.

Temperature

DEATH VALLEY

MAX 65.5 73.2 80.5 89.3 98.7 108.8 114.9 113.2 105.3 92.2 75.8 65.1 90.2

MEAN 52.1 59.4 67.1 75.5 84.8 94.5 100.6 98.8 90.1 76.5 61.3 51.3 76.0

MIN 38.7 45.5 53.7 61.6 70.9 80.1 86.3 84.3 74.9 60.7 46.8 37.5 61.8

Precip.

DEATH VALLEY .35 .42 .42 .12 .10 .05 .11 .14 .19 .13 .12 .18 2.33

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