Will heavy October rains lead to...

It's been an incredibly wet fall at Death Valley National Park, where torrential rains at times washed over, and washed out, roads. Which begs the question: Should you book your spring 2016 wildflower trek to the park?

Death Valley regulars know that heavy fall rains can produce prodigious spring wildflower blooms. Earlier this month park staff noted on their Facebook page that, "The chance of a rare Super Bloom of wildflowers this (coming) spring just got better! The autumn rainstorm (0.70 inches) that just hit Death Valley is a key factor for the early sprouting of annual wildflowers seeds and the predicted El Niño weather pattern should bring regular rain this winter to keep the plants growing and blooming. This is the same situation we saw with the Super Blooms of 1998 and 2005, and it is possible we could see a repeat of those mind-blowing wildflower displays."

According to the Death Valley Natural History Association, through mid-October the park had received 2.26 inches of precipitation this year, and half of that fell in October. More storms swept the park on Sunday, with storm waters and debris closing nearly two dozen roads in the valley.

...a spring 2016 Super Bloom similar to the one park visitors enjoyed in 2005?/NPS photos