Death Valley's temperature has plummeted as Tropical Storm Hilary dumped a deluge of rain on the hottest place on Earth.
As a tropical storm, Hilary formed early last Wednesday and intensified into a hurricane by Thursday morning. It strengthened to a Category 4 early Friday morning with sustained wind speeds at 140 miles per hour. Winds weakened before the storm hit Baja California as a Category 1 hurricane over the weekend.
The storm has since weakened further into a tropical storm as it moved to inland California. Over the weekend, rain started falling at Death Valley National Park in the state. Meteorologists had previously warned that heavy rainfall accompanying the storm would become life-threatening, especially in California desert areas like Palm Springs and at Death Valley National Park. The latter is known for its hot, arid climate, with meteorologists previously saying the storm could dump up to 4 inches of rain on the park—more than quadruple the amount that it normally receives in a year.
On Sunday, the National Park Service (NPS) closed the park because of flooding. Meanwhile, the temperature also dropped, a stark contrast to what Death Valley National Park normally experiences this time of year.
Last Friday, before the storm hit, AccuWeather temperature forecasts showed Death Valley having a high of 115 degrees Fahrenheit. That number quickly dropped as the storm approached over the weekend. On Saturday, the high was only 99, the first time the park's temperatures were expected not to exceed three digits since the start of August. Temperatures continued to fall, with Sunday's high at only 82 degrees. Monday's high is expected to reach 93 degrees, and the temperature is forecast to climb the rest of the week.
As of 11:25 a.m. ET on Monday, the park was a balmy 78 degrees. AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tom Kines told Newsweek that on Sunday, the park's temperature didn't exceed 82 degrees. It is the lowest park daytime temperature during the month of August since 1982, when temperatures also were measured at 82 degrees.
"It is highly uncommon," Kines said. "Normally, this time of year nighttime lows are in the upper 80s and daytime highs are like 116."
Kines added that clouds and rain, which is unusual during anytime of the year at Death Valley, but particularly unusual in August, have contributed to low the temperatures.
As of Monday, Death Valley had received 1 to 3 inches of rain depending on the location of the gauges as it is still raining in some areas. Death Valley's annual average rainfall is only .94 inches.
Meanwhile, Death Valley National Park has encountered its fair share of severe weather events already this year. In July, temperatures at the park neared 130 degrees as a heat wave gripped the southwestern part of the United States.
Typically, tourists are warned of the park's deadly heat during the summer months. In July, a 71-year-old man died after being exposed to high heat.
About the writer
Anna Skinner is a Newsweek senior reporter based in Indianapolis. Her focus is reporting on the climate, environment and weather ... Read more
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