Death Valley National Park sees near-record heat this past weekend

DEATH VALLEY, Ca. – Death Valley National Park is often referred to as one of the hottest places in the U.S., if not the world. This past weekend, that was no different.

The Park posted Monday that it reached an official high temperature of 128° on Sunday afternoon, which is shy of the record of 134°. That was set on July 10, 1913.

The thermometer at the Furnace Creek Visitors Center (pictured above) often runs a degree or two higher than the official reading, says the park. They say that Sunday’s heat caused three vehicles to break down. Fortunately, there were no injuries as rangers were able to respond quickly.

Summer temperatures in Death Valley often hit 120° or higher, according to the National Park Service. The valley (nearly 300 feet below sea level) is often dry, as it’s on the leeward side of mountain ranges. The clear, dry air, along with little vegetation, allow the desert to heat efficiently. Once the heat radiates off any other surfaces, it then becomes trapped.

In the winter, however, the temperature at night can drop to freezing. This happens as colder, more dense air slips down into the bone-dry valley. We see this happen locally in places like Canaan Valley on clear, calm and dry nights.

While we haven’t broken any records recently, the Roanoke Valley is in the middle of one of its longest 90° stretches on record.