Link to Part 4C<\/a> Greenland Ranch 1911 to 1930 Heat Events<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n June 1961<\/strong><\/p>\n June 15 to June 28 heat wave<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1961 Jun CA CD<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jun NV CD<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1961 Jun Death Valley<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jun Trona<\/a> 1961<\/a><\/p>\n Jun Deep Springs<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jun Cantil<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jun Barstow<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jun Baker 9NNW<\/a><\/p>\n 1961 Jun Haiwee<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jun Independence<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jun Inyokern<\/a><\/p>\n 1961 Jun Bishop<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jun Beatty<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jun Dyer<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jun Goldfield<\/a><\/p>\n 1961 Jun Pahrump<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jun Sarcobatus<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jun Indian Springs<\/a><\/p>\n 1961 Jun Las Vegas a<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jun Las Vegas b<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jun Randsburg<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The summer of 1961 continued the trend of the previous two summers, with several periods of very hot weather in Death Valley and vicinity. \u00a0A couple of months prior, the new weather station for the Furnace Creek area was established by the Weather Bureau and the Park Service. \u00a0The instruments were installed just north of the new Visitor’s Center on the north edge of Furnace Creek. \u00a0The station was named “Death Valley.” \u00a0This location was approximately 4\/10 of a mile north of the Greenland Ranch instrument site. \u00a0The Cow Creek and Greenland Ranch stations closed. \u00a0Here are links to the last forms for these two stations, and the first one for Death Valley:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1961 April Death Valley<\/a><\/p>\n 1961 April Cow Creek<\/a><\/p>\n 1961 March Greenland Ranch<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The last observation at Cow Creek was on April 25, 1961. \u00a0There is no form for Greenland Ranch for April. \u00a0The last observation at Greenland Ranch was apparently on March 31, 1961, after nearly 50 years of operation. \u00a0The first official entry there was on June 8, 1911. \u00a0The first entry for the new Death Valley station was April 1, 1961, and the high temperature was 96F that afternoon. \u00a0Cow Creek and Death Valley overlapped for 25 days.<\/p>\n Back to June of 1961: \u00a0the average daily maximum at Death Valley this month was a very healthy 113.7F. \u00a0The highest average maximum for June at Greenland Ranch was 115.6F in 1924. \u00a0The Junes of 1994, 2006, 2013 and 2015 at Death Valley had average maximums from 114.6F to 114.9F. \u00a0Summer maximums have been creeping up a bit in the last couple of decades at Death Valley, it seems, perhaps due to poorer ventilation through the instrument site. \u00a0Thus, June of 1961 is probably very comparable to these very hot Junes since 1990.<\/p>\n The average maximum in June, 1961, would have been quite a bit higher had the first week of June not been so cool. \u00a0The last half of the month was brutally hot for June. \u00a0Here are the average maximums week-t0-week this month at Death Valley:<\/p>\n June 1-7 \u00a0100.7F<\/p>\n June 8-14 \u00a0110.7F<\/p>\n June 15-21 121.9F<\/p>\n June 21-28 121.7F<\/p>\n (June 29 and 30 \u00a0113.5F)<\/p>\n Death Valley recorded twelve consecutive maximums of 120F or hotter from June 16 to June 27. \u00a0Maximums from the 19th to the 25th ranged from 123F to 125F! \u00a0The 125F readings for the 20th and 21st were the hottest for any June days at Greenland Ranch\/Death Valley from 1911 to 1993. \u00a0Since then, both June of 1994 and June of 2013 reached 128F, and 2000 had a 126F.<\/p>\n The run of maximums temperatures from the 19th to the 25th was just as impressive as that in the middle of the previous July. \u00a0The list below provides the average maximum for the seven days from June 19 to June 25, and the highest temperature measured (hottest days were the 20th and 21st at most stations):<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Death Valley \u00a0124.0\/125\/hottest June temperature from 1911 to 1993 at GR\/DV<\/p>\n Baker 9NNW \u00a0116.9\/119<\/p>\n Trona \u00a0113.9\/118\/highest temperature on record—1920 to 2015 (reached several times)<\/p>\n Daggett AP \u00a0111.9\/115\/hottest June maximum 1944 to 1971<\/p>\n Las Vegas AP \u00a0112.3\/113<\/p>\n Barstow \u00a0111.1\/114\/hottest June maximum on record for Barstow<\/p>\n Inyokern \u00a0111.6\/114\/hottest June temperature on record, 1949-2010 (tied)<\/p>\n Beatty \u00a0109.4\/111\/second-hottest June maximum, second to 112F in June 1918<\/p>\n Randsburg \u00a0107.7\/110\/one-degree short of all-time max (111 in several Junes and Julys)<\/p>\n Haiwee \u00a0103.4\/107\/hottest June day from 1923 to 1999<\/p>\n Sarcobatus \u00a0105.6\/109\/second-warmest June maximum<\/p>\n Bishop \u00a0105.6\/108\/one-degree short of the record maximum for June<\/p>\n Dyer 4SE \u00a0102.6\/106\/hottest June day on record (1950-2015)<\/p>\n Deep Springs \u00a099.6\/104\/hottest June day on record (1949-2007)<\/p>\n Tonopah AP \u00a099.7\/102\/one-degree short of the record maximum for June (1954-2015)<\/p>\n Goldfield \u00a093.3\/95\/not quite as warm as might be expected…new grass-covered surface?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Compared to the very hot five-day stretch from July 16-20, 1960, this seven-day period in June, 1961, was cooler by a degree or two on average maximums at most stations, but a few stations (Deep Springs, Inyokern, Las Vegas) averaged slightly warmer. \u00a0Death Valley’s average of 124.0F matched that at Greenland Ranch the previous July; but, again, this June, 1961, period was longer by two days.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n July 1961<\/strong><\/p>\n July 8 to July 18 heat wave<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1961 Jul CA CD<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jul NV CD<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1961 Jul Death Valley<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jul Barstow<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jul Independence<\/a><\/p>\n 1961 Jul Baker 9NNW<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jul Bishop AP<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jul Deep Springs<\/a><\/p>\n 1961 Jul Inyokern<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jul Goldfield<\/a><\/p>\n 1961 Jul Las Vegas AP a<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jul Las Vegas AP b<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jul Pahrump<\/a><\/p>\n 1961 Jul Beatty <\/a>\u00a0 \u00a01961 Jul Indian Springs<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01961 Jul Dyer<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 1961 Jul Trona<\/a><\/p>\n 1961 Jul Randsburg<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a01961 Jul Haiwee<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Death Valley had a second impressive heat wave this summer. \u00a0All maximums from July 9 to July 21 were 120F or hotter. \u00a0Hottest were the 10th, 11th and 12th, all with 125F. \u00a0When this station opened, maximum temperature measurements were relatively conservative for the first couple of decades. \u00a0Though the ground cover was bare, the exposure and ventilation were good. \u00a0The oasis environment of Furnace Creek was just to the south, and the typical breeze from the south on summer afternoons might have contributed to a slight moderation of high temperatures at the station site.<\/p>\n After its first summer with 125F in both June and July, Death Valley was hotter on only one other heat wave during all of the 1960s and 1970s. \u00a0The mid-July event of 1972 was truly a high-end event, with 128F. \u00a0 Summers with 125F-plus at Death Valley were the norm after 1980s, perhaps because of poorer ventilation and mixing in the vicinity of the instruments in afternoon sunshine. \u00a0The culprits were the increase in vegetation and man-made objects in the vicinity of the station.<\/p>\n Randsburg tied its all-time high with 111F on the 11th. \u00a0Pahrump had another 115F, its hottest temperature from 1949 to 2015. \u00a0Most station maximums in July, 1961, were 2-3 degrees short of their all-time highs.<\/p>\n Death Valley maximums averaged 122F from July 8 to July 18, 1961. \u00a0This is about 6.5 degrees above the 1951-1980 “normal daily maximum” for July. \u00a0A line with a slope of 4.5 degrees (F)\/1000 feet through 122F and -194 feet elevation (see graph above) comes very close to the other station plots for this 11-day period: \u00a0within a degree or two in most instances. \u00a0Given the relatively “tight fit” of the station plots near the line, it implies that the siting for the new Death Valley station was good, it was adequate, and that it was likely not dissimilar to the exposure, ventilation, and ground cover for the other stations in the region.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The 1960s<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n After the three hot summers of 1959, 1960 and 1961 in our region of interest, the summers from 1962 to 1969 were decidedly short on big-time heat. \u00a0Annual maximums for this 8-year period ranged from 119F to 123F at Death Valley and averaged a ho-hum 121.5F. \u00a0By comparison, annual maximums from 1949 to 1961 averaged 123.5F at Death Valley. \u00a0Was the abrupt downward trend in annual maximums a function of the station change? \u00a0It appears not. \u00a0At Trona, annual maximums decreased three degrees on average (from 1949-1961 to 1962-1969, 115F to 112F). \u00a0At Beatty, the decline was four degrees, from 110F to 106F.<\/p>\n Death Valley had three maximums of 119F in early August, 1965, and these were its hottest days of the year. \u00a0No other year in the record books at Greenland Ranch, Death Valley and Cow Creek had an annual maximum cooler than 120F. \u00a0Coming close with only 120F were 1912 and 1963.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n July 1972<\/strong><\/p>\n July 11 to July 18 heat wave<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1972 Jul CA CD<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01972 Jul NV CD<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1972 July Death Valley<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01972 Jul Barstow<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01972 Jul Independence<\/a><\/p>\n 1972 Jul Baker<\/a> 1972<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Jul Bishop AP<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01972 Jul Deep Springs<\/a><\/p>\n 1972 Jul Inyokern<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01972 Jul Goldfield<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01972 Jul Las Vegas AP<\/a><\/p>\n 1972 Jul Pahrump<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01972 Jul Lathrop Wells 16SSE<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01972 Jul Beatty<\/a><\/p>\n 1972 Jul Silverpeak<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01972 Jul Dyer 4SE<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01972 Jul Wildrose RS<\/a><\/p>\n 1972 Jul Trona<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 1972 Jul Cantil<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a01972 Jul Randsburg<\/a><\/p>\n 1972 Jul Haiwee<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The heat event of mid-July, 1972, just might be the most extreme of all for the 20th century, \u00a0if not for the entire period-of-record for all stations in the region. \u00a0Unfortunately, there is always that “caveat” lurking when comparing maximum temperatures, old and new: \u00a0station sitings change, instruments change, ground-cover changes, and exposures do not remain the same. \u00a0A recorded maximum of 120F in July, 1915, does not automatically mean that the day was exactly as hot as a day with a maximum of 120F in 2015.<\/p>\n Death Valley recorded maximums of 128F on both July 14 and July 15, 1972. \u00a0The maximum temperature observation of 127F at 4 p.m. on July 16 may reflect conditions on the previous afternoon.<\/p>\n July 13 \u00a0DV 125\/87 \u00a0set max 123<\/p>\n July 14 \u00a0DV 128\/94 \u00a0set max 126<\/p>\n July15 \u00a0DV \u00a0128\/96 \u00a0set max 126<\/p>\n July 16 \u00a0DV \u00a0127\/100 \u00a0set max 113<\/p>\n July 17 \u00a0DV \u00a0116\/95 \u00a0set max 115<\/p>\n Again, the time of observation was at 4 p.m., which is quite close to the hottest part of the afternoon.<\/p>\n There was generally no precipitation in the region during mid-July, except for some thunderstorms north of Death Valley on the 15th and 16th. \u00a0According to the notes on the forms at surrounding stations, the 13th, 14th and 15th were primarily clear. \u00a0There were some scattered clouds at Trona on the 15th, and the 16th was “cloudy” at Trona. \u00a0Deep Springs noted thunder on the 15th and 16th. \u00a0Bishop was dowsed by 0.02″ on the 15th and 0.01″ on the 16th. \u00a0Dyer 4SE and Deep Springs both had a trace on the 16th. \u00a0Baker noted light wind on the 14th and 15th, and “mild” wind on the 16th. \u00a0Lathrop Wells noted “clear and calm” on the 13th and 14th, “clear and humid” on the 15th and “hazy and humid” on the 16th. \u00a0Dyer 4SE had a “N Breeze” on the 13th and 14th, and a “gentle NW Wind” on the evening of the 15th. \u00a0Randsburg noted “windy” on the 12th and “high wind” on the 16th. \u00a0The Death Valley evaporation pan anemometer data suggest very light winds for the most part on the 13th, 14th and 15th, with breezy conditions on the 16th.<\/p>\n The increase of winds through the region on the 16th, and the cooler maximums, suggests that there was a strong thermal low developing over the Death Valley region. \u00a0Onshore gradients from the coastal sections of Southern California to the Mojave Desert were likely strengthening and cooler air was filtering into the desert from the southwest and west on the 15th and 16th. \u00a0Some increase in humidity was apparent from the 14th through the 16th, at least for the northern and eastern areas. \u00a0Stations near and south of Death Valley generally saw maximums cool by 5 to 10 degrees (F) from the 15th to the 16th. \u00a0The cooling to the north was not as great, and Bishop’s maximum of 109F on the 15th was equaled on the 16th.<\/p>\n The maximum of 128F at Death Valley is very, very well-supported by the maximums at the other stations in the region. \u00a0A plot of maximums for the July 13-16 event shows an excellent correlation with elevation among the stations, both south and north of Death Valley. \u00a0The “tight fit” along the sloping line through Death Valley’s plot simply means that the maximum at Death Valley is well-supported by surrounding stations. \u00a0The maximum of 104F at Silverpeak, west of Goldfield and north of Furnace Creek at 4263′ elevation, is 3-to-4 degrees on the “cool” side of the line, providing only “soft” support for 128F in Death Valley. \u00a0There is no reason to doubt Death Valley’s 128F temperatures in July, 1972.<\/p>\n Many stations in the region set all-time record maximums in mid-July, 1972. \u00a0The 128F readings at Death Valley’s were the hottest up to that time, if the suspect reports in 1913 (134F) and 1960 (129F) are discarded. \u00a0Of course, in 1972, the 130-plus readings in 1913 were regarded as legitimate and the hottest on record, so the 128F observations were given little fanfare. \u00a0The station has had 129F in four summers since 1998, but are these measurements “inflated” a degree or two because of gradual environmental changes near the instruments? \u00a0That seems to be the case.<\/p>\n Given the different station exposures and environments, were the 128F days at Death Valley in July, 1972, indeed even hotter than the days with 127F in July, 1916, and again in July and August, 1933, at Greenland Ranch? \u00a0It is impossible to say with much certainty. \u00a0How close was the shelter to “cultivated land” in 1916 and 1933? \u00a0Were winds blowing across irrigated land before impacting the thermometers during the hottest part of the day? \u00a0In 1972, the maximum temperature reports for Death Valley were relatively conservative. \u00a0And, the same can be said for Greenland Ranch (when the observers’ entries could be trusted!). \u00a0The Greenland Ranch station siting by the Weather Bureau in 1911 emphasized excellent exposure and a ground surface which would not promote “reflected heat” from the desert surface. \u00a0Early pictures of the station indicate that the instruments were over bare ground by the 1920s, with irrigated farmland adjacent to the shelter. \u00a0It is probable that the summer maximums measured at Greenland Ranch for much its period of record were on the conservative side, also. \u00a0Any obstructions to the wind were far enough away to have practically no effect on ventilation through the station site. \u00a0The nearby farmland and irrigated areas may have resulted in lower maximums by a degree or two on some days at Greenland Ranch, compared to those which would have been realized if local water were not available for crops and trees and other vegetation. \u00a0In the first few years at least, the instruments were directly above irrigated and cultivated ground, and summer maximums might have been several degrees lower than nearby spots that were free from the cooling effects of water, evaporation, and transpiration. \u00a0It is possible that the days with 127F in 1916 and 1933 at Greenland Ranch (and perhaps even the days with 126F in 1914, 1922, 1931 and 1936) would have been at 128F to 129F had the weather station and its environment been the same as that in July, 1972.<\/p>\n At Baker, a new station was in town at a private residence (following the closure of Baker 9NNW in March, 1971), and summer maximums here in 1972 reflect a relatively well-sited and well-exposed instrument shelter. \u00a0Its maximum thermometer reached 123F on both the 14th and 15th, five degrees cooler than Death Valley on both days. \u00a0Baker, at 940 feet elevation, is about 1130 feet higher than Furnace Creek, so summertime maximum temperature differences of 5 to 6 degrees would be expected. \u00a0On the 16th, according to the form for Baker for July, 1972, a maximum of “110” is crossed out. \u00a0A maximum of “118” is provided as a replacement. \u00a0The set max temperature on the 15th at 5 p.m. was 118F. \u00a0The observer, Lloyd Metheny, must have reset the maximum thermometer again, probably on the morning of the 16th, in order to determine what the “real” high temperature would be on the 16th in case it did not reach 118F. \u00a0He should have entered “118” as the maximum on the form. \u00a0Slightly different handwriting suggests that a\u00a0reviewer of the Baker form made the change from “110” to “118.” \u00a0Obviously, if the researcher is checking only the Baker maximums as published in Climatological Data,\u00a0<\/em>which gives “118” as Baker’s maximum on the 16th, he or she would not know that the maximum during the day on the 16th was “actually” only 110F.<\/p>\n Since Death Valley’s “set max” temperature on the 15th was 126F, since the time of observation (4 p.m.) was so close to the hottest part of the afternoon at Death Valley, and since many surrounding stations showed considerable cooling on maximums from the 15th to the 16th, Death Valley’s recorded maximum of 127F on the 16th is very likely due to conditions around observation time on the 15th. \u00a0The entry is correct, of course (with regard to proper observing procedures), but it does not convey the actual high temperature during the day on the 16th.<\/p>\n The 123F maximums at Baker in 1972 are the hottest reliable temperatures on record for all of the stations in and around town. \u00a0The hottest at Silver Lake AP (1940-1952) was 121F in June, 1950. \u00a0The hottest at Baker 9NNW (1954-1970) was 121F a couple of times (a maximum of 123F in August, 1969, is very doubtful). \u00a0The town of Baker has had a number of stations and observers since 1972. \u00a0One of these was in the equipment yard of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), from 1980 to spring of 1983. The ventilation through the yard was quite poor, due to tall trees surrounding the yard, and perhaps in part due to equipment and trailers near the instruments. \u00a0Maximum temperature readings suffered! \u00a0The observations of 124F at Baker Caltrans in both July and August of 1980 might be considered reliable, but these are not representative of a spot in Baker with good ventilation. \u00a0The highest temperatures in Death Valley in these two particular months were 124F and 123F! \u00a0Unfortunately the maximums for Baker Caltrans during the summers of 1980, 1981, and 1982 are too warm by several degrees due to the station siting and inadequate exposure of the thermometer shelter. \u00a0 Instrument exposure at ensuing locations in Baker were adequate. \u00a0The highest temperature observed from 1983 to 1989 was 122F, and from 1997 to 2013 was also 122F.<\/p>\n From the 13th to the 15th, Daggett AP had maximums of 115F, 117F, and 112F. \u00a0(Observation time was midnight.) \u00a0Nearby Barstow had maximums of 110F, 116F, and 114F on these three days. \u00a0Observation time at Barstow was 4 p.m., and the “set max” on the 14th was 114F, so the “actual” afternoon maximum on the 15th at Barstow was probably closer to 110F. \u00a0It is apparent that the cooling trend in the desert areas well south and southwest of Death Valley began on the 15th. \u00a0Daggett Airport’s maximum of 117F on the 14th was the hottest at the station from its opening in 1944 through 1993. \u00a0A maximum of 118F was recorded in June, 1994, and again in July, 2007. \u00a0Authentic temperatures of 120F at elevations near and above 2000 feet in the region are extremely rare. \u00a0Daggett\/Barstow AP, at an elevation of 1922 feet, has been within a few degrees of 120F on several occasions, but has yet to reach that plateau. \u00a0The exposure of the instruments at the airport is excellent.<\/p>\n Barstow is a couple of hundred feet higher than Daggett, and the exposure of the instruments at the various station locations in town through the years is not known. \u00a0(After 1980, the Barstow instruments were above grass and were well-exposed at a fire station, at the top of a hill.) \u00a0The highest temperature prior to 1920 at Barstow was 114F. \u00a0The equipment was destroyed by fire in 1921, and the town waited 18 years for its next official weather station. \u00a0From 1939 to 1979, hottest was 114F in four different years, except for the 116F on July 14, 1972. \u00a0The hottest reliable temperature report from the Barstow “Fire Station” since the summer of 1980 is 1115F in July, 1995. \u00a0The following July showed an observation of 120F, but it was changed to “107” in Climatological Data. \u00a0<\/em>The “Western Region Climate Center” web site shows “120” for July, 1996, in the table of monthly maximums for each year here. \u00a0But, it provides “115” as the record hottest for July in the monthly summary table. \u00a0The report of “120” for Barstow on July 23, 1996, is not supported by the maximum at Daggett (111F) nor by any other stations in the region.<\/p>\n How did a maximum of 120F wind up on Barstow’s form for July, 1996? \u00a0The “set max” temperature provided is 109F. \u00a0Time of observation was 4 p.m. \u00a0This observation time is close to the hottest part of the afternoon, so one can probably assume that the actual maximum was likely around 110F. \u00a0Did the observer just write down “120” mistakenly instead of “110”? \u00a0Why didn’t Climatological Data<\/em> change the 120F maximum to at least 109F (instead of the 107F), given the “set max” reading? \u00a0We will never know the answers, but this is just another example of apparent human error finding its way into the record books. \u00a0No station is immune!<\/p>\n Cantil is a small community in the Kern County desert, west of Randsburg and between Inyokern and Mojave, at an elevation of 2010 feet. \u00a0Daily weather records are available for 20 summers here, from 1955 to 1974. \u00a0Its average maximum for July was 103.6F, \u00a0which is close to that for other stations at a similar elevation, such as Barstow and Daggett Airport. \u00a0The extreme maximum at Cantil in July, 1972, was 121F on the 15th. \u00a0This is the hottest temperature on record for Cantil, and is one of the rare, seemingly authentic observations of 120F or greater at an elevation of 2000 feet or higher. \u00a0 Most annual maximums at Cantil from 1955 to 1974 were from 109F to 114F, but a handful of years had much warmer, including 117F in July, 1960; 119F in June, 1961; and of course the 121F in July, 1972. \u00a0Was the 121F at Cantil “boosted” by a degree or two due to less-than-superb ventilation and exposure?<\/p>\n Nearby Randsburg had 111F on both July 14 and 15, tying its all-time maximum temperature set in 1960 and 1961. \u00a0Randsburg has had a couple of 111F readings since 1972, and never has it reached 112F since its start in 1937. \u00a0Inyokern is north of Randsburg, in the Indian Wells Valley, and it had 117F on the 14th and 116F on the 15th. \u00a0The 117F reading is the highest for its period of record from 1948 to 2010. \u00a0 Somehow, a maximum of 119F was recorded at Inyokern for July 30, 1972. \u00a0Surrounding stations were a few degrees above normal on July 30 — nowhere near the all-time record maximums. \u00a0Inyokern’s 119F on the 30th was likely only 109F. \u00a0The observer, or someone copying data from one form to another, likely did not exercise enough care in this instance. \u00a0Inyokern’s hottest up until 1972 was a 115F day in July, 1960. \u00a0After 1972, it had a 115F in July, 2007. \u00a0Its reliable temperature of 117F on July 14, 1972, is impressive for a station at 2440 feet elevation.<\/p>\n Moving north towards the Owens Valley, the station at Haiwee Reservoir had about a dozen annual maximums of 106-107F during its period of record up to 1972. \u00a0These were its hottest on record, since 1923. \u00a0Maximums of 110F on the 14th and 15th of July, 1972, obliterated the old records. \u00a0From 1973 to 2000, its hottest maximum was 109F (if a very dubious report of 113F is discarded). \u00a0After about 2000, Haiwee’s record appears less reliable, and\/or the local environment around the instruments changed significantly. \u00a0An annual maximum of 119F and two other 113F maximums have been reported.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n July 1988<\/strong><\/p>\n July 16 to July 22 heat wave<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1988 Jul CA CD<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 1988 Jul NV CD<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01988 Jul Death Valley<\/a><\/p>\n 1988 Jul Amargosa Farms<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a01988 Jul Baker<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a01988 Jul Barstow<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a01988 Jul Beatty 8N<\/a><\/p>\n 1988 Jul Deep Springs<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a01988 Jul Dyer<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 1988 Jul Goldfield<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a01988 Jul Haiwee<\/a><\/p>\n 1988 Jul Independence<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a01988 Jul Mina<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a01988 Jul Pahrump<\/a><\/p>\n 1988 Jul Randsburg<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 1988 Jul Silverpeak<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a01988 Jul Trona<\/a>\u00a0\u00a01988 Jul Wildrose<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n DRA 1988 July<\/a>\u00a0 Sounding data for July 16-21<\/p>\n\n\t\t![\"DV-daily-1961Jul08A\"](\"http:\/\/stormbruiser.com\/chase\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DV-daily-1961Jul08A-232x300.jpg\")
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