Posted on 08/01/2018 8:56:37 AM PDT by rktman
“During July 25 to 27 temperatures in the Californian desert rocketed to an oven-like 127F”
An oven set at 127 F is pretty useless.
There is one area on the Olympic peninsula that is virtually desert. I believe it’s the northwestern edge somewhere. I think it’s sequim. It looks almost like eastern Washington. It’s In a mini-rain-shadow of the Olympics.
Hell, it gets hotter in the Ram than that after sitting in the sun all afternoon. 127? Pffftttt!
Somebody at the Sun found a time machine and an accurate thermometer and traveled back to 700AD?
There are no documented continuous and reliable records of temperatures in Death Valley before 1960 or so.
Well then they wasted energy since they only needed to go to 1959 or so. ;-)
Ha ha all lost in an unfortunate boating accident dontcha know.
Everywhere I've lived in California, on a hot day, asphalt pavement easily exceeds 125F
There’s been a rash of that lately. Especially in WA.
The story in the National Park gives the name to some Gold Rush travelers that were looking for another way to get to California. From wiki -
The California Gold Rush brought the first people of European descent known to visit the immediate area. In December 1849 two groups of California Gold Country-bound white travelers with perhaps 100 wagons total stumbled into Death Valley after getting lost on what they thought was a shortcut off the Old Spanish Trail. Called the Bennett-Arcane Party, they were unable to find a pass out of the valley for weeks; they were able to find fresh water at various springs in the area, but were forced to eat several of their oxen to survive. They used the wood of their wagons to cook the meat and make jerky. The place where they did this is today referred to as “Burned Wagons Camp” and is located near the sand dunes.
After abandoning their wagons, they eventually were able to hike out of the valley. Just after leaving the valley, one of the women in the group turned and said, “Goodbye Death Valley,” giving the valley they endured its name. Included in the party was William Lewis Manly whose autobiographical book Death Valley in ‘49 detailed this trek and popularized the area (geologists later named the prehistoric lake that once filled the valley after him).
Note that they were there in December and January when the temperatures are quite reasonable. My nicest visit there was on New Years Day after spending New Years Eve in Vegas...:^)
That would be no fun at all to ride a motorcycle through. When it gets into the hundreds here in Texas, it feels like you’re riding into a blow dryer.
Wind in the face is one thing. Blast furnace, not so much.
I was looking for your post, because if any FReeper is an expert on this it would be you!
I have been to DV several times. Did a fair amount of illegal mountain biking there. (in the 90s the fine for going offroad was $50. I chanced it and won.)
DV has a wildflower season. It is short.
Will no one reference the fact that the lowest point in all of N. America is in DV?
Slackers.
Thanks for the complement, but I’m no expert! I just happen to live nearby. Yes, you are correct, Badwater in Death Valley is the lowest spot in North America at 282 feet below sea level. Just about 80 miles to the west, is Mt Whitney, at 14,505’ the highest point in the lower 48 states. Both are in Inyo County. They just had a marathon there last week with runners starting in Death Valley and going all the way to Whitney.
In Death Valley it exceeds 200 degrees.
That’s why it’s not called Life Valley.
Oh that’s right. My mistake.
LoL
Louis Farrakhan probably knew this before me...
tell that to the livestock we’re trying to keep cool. We hit 123 last week, then ‘dropped’ to 116 with 30% humidity from all the water being evaporated/poured on the local fires. And we’re just 25 miles in from the coast and nowhere near DV. Once the heat index reaches 137 or so, a mammal cannot cool itself fast enough and has about 6 hours before they die
https://www.weather.gov/media/unr/heatindex.pdf
Desert caravans in the Middle East would move by moonlight, and rest during the day, for just that reason.
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