The climate of Death Valley is
sub-tropical desert, with mild winters and very hot summers, and with the sun shining all year round.
Death Valley is protected in the homonymous national park, and is located in southeastern California, a short distance from the Nevada border. We are in the Mojave desert, a desert area that mainly occupies southeastern California and southwestern Nevada.
The latitude is not very low: we are at 35/36 degrees north latitude, at the same height as the north coast of Algeria and as Tokyo (Japan).
Winter is mild during the day, but it is quite cold at night. On the coldest nights of the year, the temperature generally drops to 0/-3 °C (27/32 °F). But in December 1990, it went down to -5.5 °C (22 °F).
In summer, however, blistering heat reigns, even though the humidity is low.
But why is it so hot in Death Valley? In general, it is difficult to find areas in the world where the temperature exceeds 50 °C (122 °F), and generally, in the hottest places on the planet, from the Sahara desert to the hottest areas of Iran and Pakistan, it reaches a maximum of 51/52 °C (124/126 °F). One reason why the Death Valley is so hot lies in the fact that the altitude is below sea level (Death Valley is a
depression that reaches 86 meters or 282 feet below sea level), but above all, it's in the fact that it is surrounded by
mountain ranges, from which a down-slope wind can blow which, with a compression effect, further increase the temperature. In fact, a short distance to the west, we find the
Panamint Range, whose highest point is Telescope Peak, 3,367 meters (11,047 ft) high, while to the east, we find the
Amargosa Range, which is found along the border with Nevada and is in turn divided into three mountain ranges. To the north, the
Grapevine Mountains, whose highest peak is Grapevine Peak, which is located in Nevada and is 2,665 meters (8,743 ft) high. In the central part, the
Funeral Mountains, whose highest peak is Pyramid Peak, at 2,043 meters (6,703 ft). Finally, in the southern part, the
Black Mountains, which reach up to 1,946 meters (6,384 ft) at Funeral Peak.
Dante's View, which offers a panoramic view of the valley, is located in the latter mountain range, at 1,669 meters (5,476 ft) above sea level.
The highest peaks above 3,000 meters (10,000 ft) are generally covered with snow for many months a year: the snow only melts in the summer, from June onwards. Even at lower elevations, some mountain roads may be closed due to snow in winter and spring.
The
heat record would have been set on July 10, 1913 at Greenland Ranch, and would be 56.7 °C (134 °F), but there are doubts about its validity. The value of 54.4 degrees Celsius (130 °F) recorded in Furnace Creek in August 2020 and in July 2021 is more credible. In general, however, the temperature reaches 51/53 °C (124/127 °F) on the hottest days of the year. Here are the average temperatures in Furnace Creek.
Furnace Creek - Average temperatures (1991-2020) | Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
|---|
| January | 5.8 | 19.6 | 12.7 | 42 | 67 | 54.9 |
|---|
| February | 9.4 | 23.2 | 16.3 | 49 | 74 | 61.3 |
|---|
| March | 13.9 | 28.1 | 21 | 57 | 83 | 69.8 |
|---|
| April | 18.2 | 32.8 | 25.5 | 65 | 91 | 77.9 |
|---|
| May | 23.9 | 38.2 | 31 | 75 | 101 | 87.9 |
|---|
| June | 28.9 | 43.9 | 36.4 | 84 | 111 | 97.5 |
|---|
| July | 32.8 | 47.4 | 40.1 | 91 | 117 | 104.2 |
|---|
| August | 31.5 | 46.6 | 39.1 | 89 | 116 | 102.3 |
|---|
| September | 26.2 | 42.1 | 34.1 | 79 | 108 | 93.4 |
|---|
| October | 18 | 34.1 | 26 | 64 | 93 | 78.9 |
|---|
| November | 10.3 | 25.2 | 17.8 | 51 | 77 | 64 |
|---|
| December | 5.1 | 18.7 | 11.9 | 41 | 66 | 53.4 |
|---|
| Year | 18.7 | 33.4 | 26 | 65.7 | 92.1 | 79 |
|---|
In Death Valley,
rainfall is very scarce, since it amounts to just 55 mm (2.2 in) per year. However, given the nature of the terrain, when it rains, flash floods cannot be ruled out. Although it generally does not rain in the summer, occasional short thunderstorms can occur. Here is the average rainfall at Furnace Creek.
Furnace Creek - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 10 | 0.4 | 2 |
|---|
| February | 15 | 0.6 | 3 |
|---|
| March | 5 | 0.2 | 2 |
|---|
| April | 5 | 0.2 | 1 |
|---|
| May | 0 | 0 | 1 |
|---|
| June | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| July | 5 | 0.2 | 1 |
|---|
| August | 5 | 0.2 | 1 |
|---|
| September | 5 | 0.2 | 1 |
|---|
| October | 5 | 0.2 | 1 |
|---|
| November | 5 | 0.2 | 1 |
|---|
| December | 5 | 0.2 | 2 |
|---|
| Year | 55 | 2.2 | 16 |
|---|
The
sun in the Death Valley shines all year round. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.
Furnace Creek - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 7 | 215 | February | 8 | 230 | March | 9 | 280 | April | 11 | 330 | May | 12 | 370 | June | 13 | 390 | July | 13 | 405 | August | 12 | 370 | September | 11 | 330 | October | 10 | 310 | November | 7 | 210 | December | 6 | 185 | Year | 9.9 | 3625 |
Best Time
The best time to visit Death Valley is
from November to March. Winter, from December to February, is generally a mild and sunny season, although sometimes it can rain, or it can get a little cold (especially in December and January). The months of March and November can therefore be chosen.
If you travel in summer, you need to protect yourself from the sun (with a hat and sunglasses), and bring supplies of food and liquids, water or better yet, sports drinks (it is easy to dehydrate with hot and dry conditions). If you want to hike on low-altitude trails, it is recommended to do it only in the early hours of the day (no later than 10 am).
If you travel by car, you need to stay on the roads, both to preserve the park (leaving the roads is illegal) and for safety reasons (if you have problems, it is easier to be rescued).
Since cell phones and GPS do not always work well, it is better to bring a map and a compass.
Beware of wild donkeys, who are not natives of the place, and which may be aggressive.
Back to
California.