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June Brought Record Heat To Death Valley National Park

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By NPT Staff - July 2nd, 2021

June produced record-setting heat at Death Valley National Park/NPS file

June brought record heat to Death Valley National Park, where the average daily temperature reached 102.9 degrees Fahrenheit, far above the normal average June temperature of 95 degrees.

The average temperature for June is based on records dating to 1912. Every June for the past decade has exceeded this average, the park said in a release. This June 2021 beat the previous record average temperature for the month by 1.1°F. 

The heat wave that affected much of the West in mid-June peaked at 128°F in Death Valley on June 17, which broke the daily record by six degrees. Seven days in the month set daily records for high temperatures. 

Nights brought little relief from the heat. On June 29, for instance, the lowest temperature was 104°F around 3 a.m.  

Death Valley’s dramatic landscape ranges from 282 feet below sea level at Badwater Basin to 11,049 feet above at the summit of Telescope Peak. This landscape causes Death Valley to be hotter than Lone Pine, Pahrump, or other surrounding areas. Clear, dry air, and minimal plant coverage means there’s little to block the sun from heating up the ground.

Heat radiates from the ground back into the air. Hot air rises, but is trapped by the steep mountains, and recirculates to the valley floor. Then the heating continues. 

The park’s extreme heat attracts people seeking to experience a temperature hotter than they ever have before. Park rangers say it is possible to visit Death Valley safely in the summer. Limit heat exposure by not walking more than 5 minutes from an air-conditioned vehicle.

Travel on paved roads where your vehicle will be found in case of a break-down. There is no cell phone service in most of the vast park. Rescues are not always possible because park rangers cannot safely work for extended periods in the heat and helicopters cannot get sufficient lift at high temperatures.  

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