
Temperatures dipping down into the single digits could arrive at Rocky Mountain National Park on Tuesday/NWS
From 125° Fahrenheit to 5°F and heavy snow, September in the National Park System is announcing its arrival in extremes.
Death Valley National Park broke a 65-year-old record Saturday when the temperature at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center reached 125°F, five degrees hotter than it was on that date back in 1955. The heat wave was expected to continue Sunday, with a high possibly reaching 126°F, the park staff announced.
It could get even warmer on Labor Day, with the mercury maybe peaking at 127°F, the forecast indicated.
"Extreme heat will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities," warned the National Weather Service.
Meanwhile, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado was told to brace for cold and heavy snow Monday into Tuesday, with the temperature possibly dipping down to 5° Tuesday night near the roof of the park at the Alpine Visitor Center as the cold front pushes through, said the National Weather Service forecast.
"Heavy snow possible," read the forecast for the park. "The higher elevations and Front Range could see 6 to 14 inches."
Elsewhere around the Park System:
- Zion National Park in Utah was expected to see the temperature reach 106°F on Sunday.
- Glacier National Park in Montana was warned to brace for 3-5 inches of snow on Labor Day.
- 111°F was the forecast high Sunday for Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona.
- Visitors to Acadia National Park in Maine were enjoying high temps in the upper 60s to low 70s and overnight lows round 60.
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee was seeing high temperatures in the mid-80s with overnight lows in the mid-60s.
- In the Caribbean, Virgin Islands National Park's forecast calls for highs around 85°F and lows around 81°F.
- Denali National Park in Alaska was to experience wet, raw weather the next few days, with a mix of rain and snow and temps going from the mid-40s during the days to mid-30s at night.