202008.17
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Death Valley hits 129.9 degrees, attracting ‘heat seekers’

by in News

A day after breaking records, one of the hottest places on earth was — once again — very hot. But expectations for a second day of once-in-a-lifetime heat did not come to pass.

The highest temperature recorded Monday, Aug. 17, at the Furnace Creek Visitor’s Center in the middle of Death Valley National Park topped out at 127 degrees Farenheit, according to meteorologists in Las Vegas.

The comparatively balmy temperatures followed Sunday’s record of 129.9 degrees at the same spot.

Meteorologists first reported the high as 130 degrees, but that record is undergoing a review by experts. If the original reading was accurate, Sunday’s temperature would tie a record set nearly a century ago for the third-highest temperature ever recorded, anywhere in the world.

“Since 1931, (Sunday) would be the most recent time it’s gotten over 129 degrees,” said Chelsea Kryston, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Las Vegas.

The 1931 record of 131 degrees Farenheit was recorded in Tanzania, Kryston said. All the other hottest days on record took place in Death Valley, including the single hottest day ever: 134 degrees Farenheit recorded in 1913.

That figure is subject to debate.

“A lot of people — historians, climate people — have tried to discredit that number,” Kryston said. “But the World Meteorological Organization, they certify world records. They have not put anything out that would discredit that 1913 temperature.”

As for the NWS, “we can’t really speak to that,” she said.

“We’re just hear to tell you what the temperature is and keep people up to date,” Kryston said.

Meteorologists said temperatures early on Monday morning — around 104 degrees Farenheit — were warm enough that breaking the record once again was possible. But the NWS called the 127 degrees Farenheit figure by around 4:30 p.m.

Record breaking or not, such high heat attracts “heat seekers.”

“The biggest thing is to be mindful of right now is that we’re going to probably start getting heat seekers due to all this attention,” said Brandi Stewart, a park spokeswoman.

People would travel to Death Valley just to say they were there when extreme, and perhaps historical, temperatures were reached?

“Oh yes, definitely,” Stewart said.

If you do come, she warned, be prepared.

“The safest way of enjoying Death Valley at this time of year is staying close to your vehicle,” Stewart said. “This is not the time of year to go out on that long hike. …

“It can be really tempting to just jump in your car and go to enjoy Death Valley at this time of year, but you really need to plan,” she said.

Visitors, she said, especially if traveling alone, need to tell someone where they are going and have check-in times.They should know how to change a tire and do routine vehicle maintenance.

“A lot of the areas in Death Valley don’t have cellphone coverage,” she said.

“Have a plan of what you want to see, and make sure you don’t have to walk far away from your vehicle, so you can get back and get cooled off in your air-conditioning, and then go out to your next location,” she said.

Coronavirus has left some facilities at the park closed, including the visitor center in Furnace Creek, which is 193 feet below sea level.


Finalizing Sunday’s temperature will take time. A Climate Extremes Committee of experts will conduct the review.

Tuesday, it was expected to cool down a bit to around 125 to 128 degrees Farenheit.