{"id":12193,"date":"2016-08-23T18:55:33","date_gmt":"2016-08-24T02:55:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stormbruiser.com\/chase\/?p=12193"},"modified":"2018-02-25T15:22:46","modified_gmt":"2018-02-25T23:22:46","slug":"unravelling-death-valleys-134f-temperature-record-part-4-historic-heat-waves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stormbruiser.com\/chase\/2016\/08\/23\/unravelling-death-valleys-134f-temperature-record-part-4-historic-heat-waves\/","title":{"rendered":"Unravelling Death Valley’s 134F Temperature Record — Part 4 Historic Heat Waves"},"content":{"rendered":"

PART FOUR — HISTORIC HEAT WAVES IN THE DEATH VALLEY REGION<\/p>\n

This part was becoming large and unwieldy, so I have broken it up into smaller parts:<\/p>\n

Part 4A 1931 to 1960 Heat Events<\/a><\/p>\n

Part 4B 1961 to 2017 Heat Events<\/a><\/p>\n

Part 4C 1911 to 1930 Heat Events<\/a><\/p>\n

Part One is here<\/a><\/p>\n

Part Two is here<\/a><\/p>\n

Part Three is here<\/a><\/p>\n

Visit Part One for links to the entire study!<\/p>\n

I have deleted most of the writeup for this entry. \u00a0Please visit the 4A, 4B and 4C parts!<\/p>\n

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Below is a snippet of the beginning of Part 4A:<\/p>\n

More than one hundred summers of temperature data are in the record books. \u00a0Since 1911, the Mojave Desert and Death Valley regions have endured dozens and dozens of hot spells, long and short. \u00a0The hottest of the hottest hot spells are scrutinized in this section. \u00a0We will learn that the “hot spell” in July 1913 was only a “run-of-the-mill” stretch of hot days in the region, and that numerous other summers have had hotter heat waves. \u00a0Why were maximum temperatures of 130F and higher recorded in July of 1913 in Death Valley, while no years since have been able to muster a 130F reading?<\/p>\n

Heat waves from 1931 to the present will be investigated first, followed by the period from 1911 to 1930. \u00a0 It will be shown that daily maximum temperatures behave in a fairly predictable manner, that elevation is the primary determinant of maximum temperatures in the region, and that exceptionally hot spells are never extremely localized. \u00a0In addition, much of the first 20 years of record at Greenland Ranch is not trustworthy, so it is prudent to first scrutinize the period of record which appears less problematic.<\/p>\n

About two dozen significant summertime heat waves are investigated. \u00a0The Climatological Data\u00a0<\/em>issues for California and Nevada for the months of occurrence are provided, as are the original monthly cooperative observer forms for stations in and around Death Valley. \u00a0Charts were made to show how maximum temperatures behaved daily during the heat wave at the stations operating at the time. \u00a0And, average and extreme maximum temperatures were plotted against elevation for each station. \u00a0On each “temperature versus elevation” chart, a line with the same slope is drawn, beginning at the value for Greenland Ranch (1911-1960) or Death Valley (1961-2013). \u00a0The slope is 4.5 degrees (F) per one thousand feet in elevation, which closely approximates the rate at which average daily maximum temperatures in July decrease with elevation for stations in the Death Valley region.<\/p>\n

The heat waves selected were generally those where the extreme maximum temperature at a Furnace Creek-area station was 125F or hotter. \u00a0After about 1985, this threshold was bumped up to about 127F as maximums of 125F or more have become much more commonplace.<\/p>\n

The determination of the heat-wave duration was rather arbitrary, but generally the timeframe incorporated was from the day before the first 120F maximum to the day after the last 120F maximum at the Furnace Creek-area station.<\/p>\n

Greenland Ranch was established in June, 1911. \u00a0The hottest spells during the summers from 1911 to 1915 were also included in order to show how Greenland Ranch maximums compared to those at surrounding stations prior-to and shortly-after the record-setting month of July 1913.<\/p>\n

Stations incorporated here are generally within about 110 miles of Furnace Creek. \u00a0Here is a key to the station abbreviations on the charts:<\/p>\n

DV Death Valley CA\/1961-present\/ -194’\/at the NP Visitor’s Center on the north edge of Furnace Creek\/NPS<\/p>\n

GR Greenland Ranch CA\/1911-1960\/ -178’\/near the north-south highway in Furnace Creek, about a quarter-mile south of the current DV station\/Pacific Coast Borax Company<\/p>\n

CC Cow Creek CA\/1935-1960\/ -152’\/3 mi N of Furnace Creek\/NPS<\/p>\n

AF Amargosa Farms NV\/1966-2014\/2450’\/25 mi ENE of FC\/Amargosa Ranches<\/p>\n

BAD Badwater CA\/1934 and 1959-1961\/-280’\/17 mi SSE of FC\/NPS<\/p>\n

BAG Bagdad CA\/1903-1926\/784’\/139 mi SSE of FC\/Santa Fe Railroad<\/p>\n

BAK Baker CA\/1971-2013\/940’\/93 mi SSE of FC\/private residences–William Locke<\/p>\n

BAK9 Baker 9NNW\/1954-1970\/1045’\/84 mi SSE of FC\/Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power<\/p>\n

BAR Barstow CA\/1903-1979\/2142’\/108 mi S of FC\/Southern California Water Company<\/p>\n

BE Beatty NV\/1918-1972\/3300’\/32 mi N of FC\/US Weather Bureau<\/p>\n

B8 and BE8 Beatty 8N\/1973-2007\/3550’\/40 mi N of FC\/private ranch–Effie Spicer<\/p>\n

BI Bishop CA\/1895-1918\/4450’\/107 mi NW\/W.A. Chalfont<\/p>\n

BIH \u00a0Bishop AP CA\/1944-present\/4102’\/103 mi NW of FC\/NWS ASOS<\/p>\n

CL or CCY Clay City NV\/1926-1936\/2185’\/27 mi E of FC\/General Clay Company<\/p>\n

CO Columbia NV (see Goldfield)<\/p>\n

DAG\/Daggett AP CA\/1948-present\/1922’\/110 mi S of FC\/NWS ASOS<\/p>\n

DY Dyer and Dyer 4SE NV\/1903-1918 and 1950-present\/4900’\/106 mi NW of FC\/McAfee’s Ranch<\/p>\n

DRA Desert Rock AP NV (Mercury)\/1978-present\/3230’\/48 mi ENE of FC\/NWS ASOS<\/p>\n

DS Deep Springs CA\/1948-2007\/5225’\/89 mi NW of FC\/Deep Springs College<\/p>\n

HA Haiwee CA\/1923-2000\/3825’\/65 mi WSW of FC\/Los Angeles Dept. of Water & Power<\/p>\n

GO Goldfield NV\/1906-2010\/5690’\/90 mi NNW of FC\/Esmeralda County Sheriff<\/p>\n

IN Independence CA\/1893-present\/3950’\/78 mi WNW of FC\/Los Angeles Dept. of Water & Power<\/p>\n

IK Inyokern CA\/1949-2009\/2440’\/77 mi SW od FC\/Fire Department<\/p>\n

IS Indian Springs\/1913-1919 and 1939-1964\/3136’\/75 mi E of FC\/Ira McFarland<\/p>\n

JE Jean NV\/1907-1915\/2864’\/100 mi SE of FC\/Salt Lake Route<\/p>\n

LAS Las Vegas AP NV\/1940-present\/2162’\/99 mi ESE of FC\/NWS – FAA<\/p>\n

LV Las Vegas NV\/1895-1956\/2033’\/99 mi ESE of FC\/C.P. Squires<\/p>\n

LI Lida NV\/1912-1917 and 1942\/6037’\/78 mi NNW of FC\/L.F. Detwiler<\/p>\n

LP Lone Pine CA\/1904-1920\/3728’\/67 mi W of FC\/G.F. Marsh<\/p>\n

LW Lathrop Wells\/1942-1962\/2665’\/29 mi ENE of FC\/State Highway Department<\/p>\n

LW16 Lathrop Wells 16SSE\/1971-1977\/2176’\/30 mi E of FC\/Farm Land Co.<\/p>\n

NE Needles CA\/1893-1940\/477’\/170 mi SE of FC\/Santa Fe Company<\/p>\n

OR Oasis Ranch NV\/1912-1919\/5106’\/90 mi NW of FC\/Arthur Stewart<\/p>\n

PA Pahrump NV\/1914-1925 and 1949-present\/2670’\/52 mi ESE of FC\/private residences<\/p>\n

RA Randsburg CA\/1938-present\/3570’\/87 mi SW of FC\/Fire Department<\/p>\n

RH Rhyolite NV\/1914-1916\/3680’\/31 mi N of FC\/Secretary School Board<\/p>\n

SA Sarcobatus NV\/1941-1961\/4020’\/58 mi N of FC\/State Highway Department<\/p>\n

SH Shoshone CA\/2007-2010\/1546’\/47 mi SE of FC\/Caltrans<\/p>\n

SL Silver Lake AP\/1940-1953\/918’\/87 mi SSE of FC\/U.S. Airways Observers<\/p>\n

SP Silverpeak NV\/1895-1903 and 1968-present\/4263’\/100 mi NNW of FC\/Foote Mineral Co.<\/p>\n

TO Tonopah NV\/1902-1954 and 2012-present\/6090’\/111 mi N of FC\/U.S. Weather Bureau<\/p>\n

TPH Tonopah AP NV\/1954-present\/5395’\/111 mi N of FC\/NWS ASOS<\/p>\n

TR Trona CA\/1920-present\/1695’\/56 mi SW of FC\/Searles Valley Minerals<\/p>\n

WR Wildrose RS CA\/1967-1999\/4100’\/22 mi SW of FC\/NPS<\/p>\n

YG Yucca Grove CA\/1931-1954\/3951’\/100 mi SE of FC\/C.A. Anderson<\/p>\n

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Heat waves index:<\/p>\n

1930s to present<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jul 1931\/Jul 1933\/Aug 1933\/Jul 1936\/Aug 1936\/Jul 1942\/Jul 1945\/Jul 1949\/Jul 1959<\/p>\n

Jul 1960\/Jun 1961\/Jul 1961\/Jul 1972\/Jul 1988\/Jul 1989\/Jun-Jul 1994\/Jul 1998<\/p>\n

Jul 2002\/Jul 2005\/Jul 2007\/Jun-Jul 2013<\/p>\n

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Early years, 1911 – 1927<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jun 1911\/Jul 1911\/Aug 1911\/May-Jun 1912\/Jul 1912\/Aug 1912\/May 1913\/Jun 1913<\/p>\n

Jul 1913\/Aug 1913\/Jun-Jul 1914\/Jul 1915\/Aug 1915\/Jul 1916\/Jul 1917\/Jul 1922\/Jul 1927<\/p>\n

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PART FOUR — HISTORIC HEAT WAVES IN THE DEATH VALLEY REGION This part was becoming large and unwieldy, so I have broken it up into… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,65,70,52,58,61,36,45],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-12193","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-62","7":"category-65","8":"category-70","9":"category-blog","10":"category-climate","11":"category-death-valley","12":"category-desert","13":"category-weather-and-climate-blog","14":"entry","15":"has-post-thumbnail"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stormbruiser.com\/chase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stormbruiser.com\/chase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stormbruiser.com\/chase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stormbruiser.com\/chase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stormbruiser.com\/chase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12193"}],"version-history":[{"count":334,"href":"https:\/\/stormbruiser.com\/chase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12193\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20449,"href":"https:\/\/stormbruiser.com\/chase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12193\/revisions\/20449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stormbruiser.com\/chase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stormbruiser.com\/chase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stormbruiser.com\/chase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}