Death Valley
Death Valley is the lowest, driest and hottest part of the United States. It lies on the border of California and Nevada and was designated as a National Park on February 11, 1933. Death Valley is about 145 miles long and 16 miles wide and covers an area of about 3,000 square miles (7,800 km²). The valley runs north-south between the Amargosa Range to the east and the Panamint Range to the west; with the Sylvania Mountains and the Owlshead Mountains forming its northern and southern boundaries.
The lowest point of Death Valley - Badwater Basin - is the lowest point in the United States (and all of the Americas) at -282 ft (85.5 m) below sea level, it is overlooked by the 11,049 feet high Telescope Peak. On July 10, 1913 a temperature of 134 °F (57 °C) was recorded, this is the hottest ever recorded in the western hemisphere and globally is second only to Azizia, Libya which recorded 136 °F (58 °C) in 1922.
Temperatures and Precipitation[1]
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| daily high (average) |
65 °F | 72 °F | 80 °F | 90°F9 | 9 °F | 109 °F | 115 °F | 113 °F | 106 °F | 92 °F | 76 °F | 65 °F | 90 °F |
| 18 °C | 22 °C | 27 °C | 32 °C | 37 °C | 43 °C | 46 °C | 45 °C | 41 °C | 33 °C | 24 °C | 18 °C | 32 °C | |
| daily low (average) |
39 °F | 46 °F | 53 °F | 62 °F | 71 °F | 80 °F | 88 °F | 85 °F | 75 °F | 62 °F | 48 °F | 39 °F | 62 °F |
| 4 °C | 8 °C | 12 °C | 17 °C | 22 °C | 27 °C | 31 °C | 29 °C | 24 °C | 17 °C | 9 °C | 4 °C | 17 °C | |
| record high | 89 °F | 97 °F | 102 °F | 112 °F | 122 °F | 128 °F | 134 °F | 127 °F | 123 °F | 113 °F | 97 °F | 88 °F | 134 °F |
| 32 °C | 36 °C | 39 °C | 45 °C | 50 °C | 53 °C | 57 °C | 53 °C | 50 °C | 45 °C | 36 °C | 31 °C | 57 °C | |
| record low | 15 °F | 25 °F | 30 °F | 35 °F | 42 °F | 49 °F | 62 °F | 64 °F | 41 °F | 32 °F | 24 °F | 19 °F | 15 °F |
| -9 °C | -4 °C | -1 °C | 2 °C | 6 °C | 10 °C | 17 °C | 18 °C | 5 °C | 0 °C | -4 °C | -7 °C | -9 °C | |
| precipitation | 0.27" | 0.35" | 0.25" | 0.12" | 0.08" | 0.04" | 0.11" | 0.10" | 0.14" | 0.11" | 0.18" | 0.19" | 1.94" |
| 0.7 cm | 0.9 cm | 0.6 cm | 0.3 cm | 0.2 cm | 0.1 cm | 0.3 cm | 0.3 cm | 0.4 cm | 0.3 cm | 0.5 cm | 0.5 cm | 4.9 cm |
