Continued from Part 2, this part provides access to the Greenland Ranch climate forms beginning in 1922.<\/p>\n
The observer from 1921 to 1927 was Victoriano Ceballos. \u00a0Victor did not provide set-max data, and his handwriting was poor. \u00a0Combined with some of the so-so quality of the reproductions available (via the NCDC web site) of the original climate forms, the result is great difficulty in deciphering some (many?) of his daily max and min temperature entries. \u00a0I feel much empathy for the person who had to sum up and average the Greenland Ranch maximums and minimums during the 1920s. \u00a0It was not easy to decipher some of Denton’s entries, but those by Ceballos were even worse. \u00a0 I suspect that some of the average daily maximums and minimums for this period are off by a little bit (in the official database) because some entries are so ambiguous. \u00a0The Greenland Ranch daily temperatures were not published in Climatological Data for California until about the late 1930s, thus the researcher of Death Valley temperatures (i.e., me and you) must contend with these original hand-written forms, where some nines look like fours and vice versa, some zeros look like ones, some eights look like nines, etc., etc.; and some numbers look like hen scratching and all one can do is make a guess.<\/p>\n
.<\/p>\n
Greenland Ranch climate forms for 1922<\/strong><\/p>\n Jan 1922 GR<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Feb 1922 GR<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Mar 1922 GR<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Apr 1922 GR<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0May 1922 GR<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Jun 1922 GR<\/a><\/p>\n Jul 1922 GR<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Aug 1922 GR<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Sept 1922 GR<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Oct 1922 GR<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Nov 1922 GR<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Dec 1922 GR<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n In Jan 1922, 18 of the 31 maximums end in a “5” or a “0”. \u00a0I thought that that problem would be over and done once Denton was replaced. \u00a0It was determined (or presumed) by me that Denton estimated many daily temperatures when he missed taking the observations, and that he had a strong tendency to enter values which ended in a “5” or a “0”. \u00a0Did Ceballos do the same thing? \u00a0Fortunately, this “5” and “0” issue does not appear to continue after February (when 12 of the 28 maximums ended in a “5” or “0”). \u00a0 Perhaps Denton trained Ceballos as to what to do if an observation was missed, and he suggested that entering values ending in a “5” or a “0” was a good idea. \u00a0Who knows? \u00a0It is strange. \u00a0Anyhow, I doubt that the January temperature data for Greenland Ranch are good.<\/p>\n I have not compared the GR 1922 data versus other stations. \u00a0There is a period from late May to early August with problematic minimums. \u00a0June minimums appear much too high late in the month. \u00a0July minimums range from 100F to 110F (i.e., they are much too high) and are “lined out” on the form. \u00a0 The reviewer of the data accurately dismissed the minimums as garbage. \u00a0A note on the July form states: \u00a0“min temps untrustworthy, as min thermometer was out of order.” \u00a0This was initialed by “AHP.” \u00a0Minimums appear to be much more reliable after about August 3, but there is no notation that the minimum thermometer was repaired or replaced.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, it must be reported here: \u00a0Victor Ceballos entered temperature data which were very flawed and obviously problematic. \u00a0The average daily max and mins for July, 1922, according to his entries, were 118.9F and 106.7F. \u00a0These values result in an absurdly small average daily range of 12 degrees for July 1922. \u00a0Would not a good observer know that the minimums were way out of whack? \u00a0It would appear that Ceballos was not one to provide a solid and trustworthy climate record for Greenland Ranch, based on the problems I see during 1922. \u00a0I figure that the recurring issues and problems with the minimum thermometer were the primary culprit, and Ceballos either did not notice the problem quickly, or did not know what to do regarding the problem, or both.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Greenland Ranch climate forms for 1923<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jan 1923 GR<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0Feb 1923 GR<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0Mar 1923 GR<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0Apr 1923 GR<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0May 1923 GR<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0Jun 1923 GR<\/a><\/p>\n Jul 1923 GR<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0Aug 1923 GR<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0Sep 1923 GR<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0Oct 1923 GR<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0Nov 1923 GR<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0Dec 1923 GR<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n With Ceballos as observer this year, there are a couple of fairly obvious problems to report.<\/p>\n A minimum of 110F is entered for September 8th. \u00a0Here are the dailies for Sept 7 to 9, 1923:<\/p>\n Sept 7) \u00a0119\/81<\/p>\n Sept 8) 118\/110<\/p>\n Sept 9) \u00a0120\/81<\/p>\n The highest minimum for the first ten days of this September was 87F, except for the 110F on the 8th. \u00a0The minimum of 110F is very likely not authentic, \u00a0as minimums as high as 105F are extremely rare even in July and August. \u00a0Other low temperatures on the 8th were 60F at Beatty, 70F at Pahrump, 64F at Las Vegas, 70F at Independence and 72F at Trona. \u00a0Both Trona and Greenland Ranch show clear skies for the 7th through the 9th. \u00a0There is no evidence and no support for such a warm minimum at Greenland Ranch on the 8th. \u00a0The Western Region Climate Center stats for Greenland Ranch (1911-1961) indicates that all daily record high minimums for September are 100F or lower, except for the 110F minimum on September 8, 1923. \u00a0In my opinion, the WRCC should AXE this 110F minimum!<\/p>\n The data for 1923 look pretty darn good until we get to December. \u00a0Ceballos may have been away from the ranch for a while, as there is a lengthy stretch where the maximums look contrived. \u00a0From December 10-24, all of the maximums were 60F, 65F, 67F, and 70F. \u00a0Most of the minimums were clustered around 35F. \u00a0Do you believe that 15 consecutive maximums consisted of only those four temperatures? \u00a0I don’t. \u00a0 The maximums at Trona, ranging from 49F to 65F from the 10th to the 24th, are not particularly supportive \u00a0of the Greenland Ranch maximums as the daily trends show a poor match. \u00a0I hope that Victor had a nice two weeks off to visit his family during the holiday season.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Greenland Ranch climate forms for 1924<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n GR Jan 1924<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Feb 1924<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Mar 1924<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Apr 1924<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR May 1924<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Jun 1924<\/a><\/p>\n GR Jul 1924<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Aug 1924<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Sep 1924<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Oct 1924<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Nov 1924<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Dec 1924<\/a><\/p>\n The climate forms for 1924 were signed by Victor Ceballos from January to September and by Louis Ceballos from October to December.<\/p>\n The temperatures for 1924 look quite reasonable…until the first part of August. \u00a0Once again, it appears that temperatures were estimated for an extended stretch, perhaps while Ceballos took a break from the relentless summer heat. \u00a0From August 11-30, the minimum temperature was 100F on 13 occasions, and 110F on two dates! \u00a0Three other minimums were 95, 95, and 90F. \u00a0The zeros and fives are back, and that means suspect data. \u00a0The Greenland Ranch maximums during this stretch look reasonable, and they match the trend of ups and downs versus the Trona maximums. \u00a0 So, maybe the minimum thermometer was again acting up, and Ceballos was at the ranch and doing his best as the observer. \u00a0Nevertheless, the minimums for August, 1924, are largely junk.<\/p>\n September minimums suffered similarly. \u00a0It looks like the minimum thermometer continued to have problems and Ceballos was guessing at the low temperatures, often using values that ended in a zero or a five (17 of the 30 minimums). \u00a0From September 21 to 28, when maximums ranged from 94F to 112F, the run of minimums was 45, 41, 60, 45, 80, 75, 70 and 45F. \u00a0 Death Valley minimums do not jump around this much day-to-day, and the Trona minimums do not support the big swings. \u00a0Unusually large daily ranges at Greenland Ranch during September, 1924, are somewhat supported by the Trona data, but a handful, such as the 112\/45 for a range of 67 degrees on the 28th, are very doubtful.<\/p>\n Three consecutive minimums of 100F from September 1-3 are also suspect, coming soon after the long stretch of bad minimums during August. \u00a0The WRCC shows those three “100s” as the highest minimums on record for Greenland Ranch for those first three days of September. \u00a0 Trona minimums were 70-75F and do not lend support.<\/p>\n Daily ranges continued quite large into October. \u00a0The average daily range was 45.8 degrees! \u00a0Given the minimum temperature problems in August and for at least a part of September, it is very difficult to determine as to whether all or most of the October minimums are authentic. \u00a0More than half of the minimums of October, 1924, hold the record for lowest minimum for October dates at Greenland Ranch (according to the WRCC tables)! \u00a0Minimums of 32F were recorded for October 11, 12 and 13 (while highs were 81F to 86F). \u00a0These are unusually large daily ranges. \u00a0If we can assume that the minimum thermometer was functioning properly (which is a shaky assumption), then it could be that the instrumentation was very close to or above a very moist ground cover. \u00a0This would be similar to 1911 to early 1913, when the Greenland Ranch instrumentation was installed right next to the alfalfa field and above a grassy patch (and when average daily ranges were very large compared to later years). \u00a0 There was a visit by the USWB to the Greenland Ranch station in March of 1924 (see Part 6 of this study), and the photographs from this visit show the shelter at the original shelter site, adjacent to the alfalfa field. \u00a0 It seems somewhat reasonable to hypothesize that the thermometer shelter was moved back to this original location a little bit prior to the USWB visit in March 1924. \u00a0It is also (very slightly!) possible that the USWB instigated a move of the shelter back to its original spot in March 1924, though such a move was not documented.<\/p>\n So, to summarize a little on this —- The instrumentation was just adjacent to the alfalfa field and above a moist patch of grass during its first two years, approximately. \u00a0The moist environment promoted very large daily ranges. \u00a0Daytime maximums are generally a couple (a few?) degrees cooler here due to the evaporative cooling effects. \u00a0However, much less mixing at night (more common during the cool season) can cause a tremendous amount of cooling just above moist surfaces versus above the typical dry desert surface, and thus promote much lower minimums comparably. \u00a0During the timeframe around 1920, plus-or-minus a few years at least, pictures of the shelter show it nowhere near any cultivated field. \u00a0Here, there would be little or no cooling due to evaporation near moist ground and vegetation. \u00a0Minimums averaged much higher at this “dry” shelter site, and daily ranges were significantly smaller on average. \u00a0By autumn of 1924, the return of the very large daily ranges indicates that something changed. \u00a0The shelter may have been recently moved from the dry locale to the original moist locale. \u00a0Or, intense irrigation and cultivation commenced again near the instrumentation (at its original locale) following a period where the immediate area had not been cultivated. \u00a0Or, the minimum thermometer continued to be problematic and many or most or all of the minimums are too low. \u00a0Or, a combination of these! \u00a0A frequent problem with these minimum thermometers is that the alcohol tended to separate, with some alcohol slowly collecting in the top end of the thermometer. \u00a0The “loss” of alcohol in the main stem of the thermometer caused lower readings than it should. \u00a0The Substation History documentation for Greenland Ranch shows numerous instances when this “separation” in the minimum thermometer was removed. \u00a0This “fix” tended to last a little while, but soon the slow process would start again. \u00a0Anyhow, the Greenland Ranch minimums were undoubtedly bad in August, 1924, so even though they don’t look too bad in September and October, the exceptionally large daily ranges again cast doubt upon the minimums. \u00a0The very dry atmosphere and the nearby moist field, perhaps alternating moist and dry, moist and dry, could indeed cause big bumps one way or the other on minimums which would be very difficult to explain without knowing the exact status of the nearby farmland.<\/p>\n If you are researching long-term temperature trends at a station, then keep in mind that minimum temperatures in the old days were made with these thermometers which frequently had this separation problem. \u00a0The thermometer promoted readings which could be consistently a degree or two or three too low until the problem was remedied. \u00a0 Nowadays, with the fancy electronic equipment, such a problem is not going to happen! \u00a0Any observed warming in the longterm minimum temperature trend could be due to changes in ground cover, changes in instrumentation or station site, a general increase in urbanization near the station, and perhaps due to minimum thermometer issues early in the record.<\/p>\n The unusually large daily temperature ranges of late October, 1924, come to a screeching halt by the start of November. \u00a0The temperature data for November and December look downright normal. \u00a0(A change in observers occurred from September to October —– did this change lead to a more trustworthy temperature record by November??) \u00a0A very cold minimum of 19F was recorded on December 27th.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Greenland Ranch climate forms for 1925<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n GR Jan 1925<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Feb 1925<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Mar 1925<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Apr 1925<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR May 1925<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Jun 1925<\/a><\/p>\n GR Jul 1925<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Aug 1925<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Sep 1925<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Oct 1925<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Nov 1925<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Dec 1925<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The climate forms for 1925 were signed by Louis Ceballos in January, and by Victor Ceballos in April and September through December. \u00a0The remaining forms were unsigned. \u00a0The handwriting in February and March is close to that of Louis Ceballos, as is that for July. \u00a0The June and August forms look similar to forms filled out by Victor.<\/p>\n Good news: \u00a0the Greenland Ranch temperature data appear to be problem-free for all of 1925! \u00a0(I did not check the maximums against a nearby station, such as Trona, however.) \u00a0Average daily ranges “ranged” from a low of 27.8 degrees in November to a high of 32.5 degrees in both March and October. \u00a0 This rather narrow and consistent range of average daily range through the year signifies, or at least “suggests,” that the equipment was probably functioning as intended, the nature of the ground cover near and beneath the station did not change (or did not change much — it was probably mostly dry), and the observers provided a trustworthy record. \u00a0 A minimum of 100F on August 4 may be bogus. \u00a0For whatever reason, minimums of 100F seem to pop up a lot more than would be expected with Victor Ceballos as observer. \u00a0Why not 99F? \u00a0Why not 101F? \u00a0I don’t know, but when such warm minimums and nice round values such as 100F show up, the flashing lights go on. \u00a0Highs before and after the low of 100F (on the 3rd and 4th) were 115F and 119F, respectively.<\/p>\n Very cool maximums of 78F and 74F were observed at Greenland Ranch on June 5 and 6, respectively. \u00a0These are the only maximums of under 80F here for all Junes from 1911 to 1960. \u00a0Keep in mind, though, that with an observation time around 5 p.m., as at Greenland Ranch for most of its period of record, that many cool days which followed warm days would wind up with a maximum temperature which reflected conditions at observation time on the day prior. \u00a0In other words, a day on which the daytime maximum temperature actually only reached 60F might show a maximum of 70F because the temperature was 70F when the maximum thermometer was reset on the day prior. \u00a0Thus, there are likely plenty of coolish days which “fall under the radar” due to the late afternoon time of observation. \u00a0By the way, the only sub-80F June maximum at the Death Valley station (1961-2020) was a 79F maximum on June 14, 1997. \u00a0 The low maximums of 78F and 74F at Greenland Ranch on the 5th and 6th are supported by the chilly highs of 56F and 55F at Beatty on the same two days. \u00a0Tonopah had a max temp of only 48F on June 5.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Greenland Ranch climate forms for 1926<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n GR Jan 1926<\/a>. \u00a0\u00a0GR Feb 1926<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Mar 1926<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Apr 1926<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR May 1926<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Jun 1926<\/a><\/p>\n GR Jul 1926<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Aug 1926<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Sep 1926<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Oct 1926<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Nov 1926<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Dec 1926<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n All of the forms for 1926 were signed by Victor Ceballos. \u00a0As usual, the set-max temperature data were not provided. \u00a0Observation time remained at 5 p.m. \u00a0The January temperatures look to be filled in by someone other than Victor, based on the handwriting.<\/p>\n I don’t see any obvious problems with the 1926 temperature data. \u00a0The average daily ranges were very typical, from a low of 24.8 degrees in April to a high of 33.8 degrees in September. \u00a0These are relatively “moderate” daily ranges, not too dissimilar to current daily ranges at Death Valley, and suggest that there was little or no cooling influence from irrigation and farming at the ranch. \u00a0Though the instruments were adjacent to the farmland, it seems likely that any heavy irrigation and crop development was not particularly close-by.<\/p>\n The max temp on one very hot day caught my eye as a possible error. \u00a0The monthly max temp for August is given as 124F on the 24th. \u00a0The entry for the 24th is not well-written, and the “4” is somewhat dubious. \u00a0Is it really a “121” or something else? \u00a0I don’t know. \u00a0But, the run of maximums from the 22nd to the 26th…<\/p>\n 118,\u00a0117,\u00a0124,\u00a0119,\u00a0117<\/p>\n …is a little unusual as the jump up seven degrees \u00a0to 124F and then down to 119F does not conform to a typical summertime heat wave pattern. \u00a0Typically, the hottest day of the month is flanked by days which are nearly as hot, perhaps within about 2-4 degrees of the maximum temperature for the hottest day. \u00a0Also during this stretch, minimums were 75 to 78F, except for a minimum of 71F on the 24th. \u00a0This gave the 24th an extremely large diurnal range of 53 degrees! \u00a0(This evokes shades of July 1913, when the dubious record hot streak with the 130F-plus days had daily ranges of 45 to 50 degrees.) \u00a0Max and min temps at other stations for the 24th provide mediocre support for the large daily range and for the high of 124F at Greenland Ranch:<\/p>\n Independence \u00a0100\/57,\u00a0Haiwee \u00a098\/64,\u00a0Trona \u00a0109\/67,\u00a0Needles \u00a0112\/71, Indio 113\/73, Beatty 98\/56, Las Vegas 106\/65, Tonopah 90\/68, Mina 95\/55<\/p>\n Beatty had a max of 105F on the 23rd, so I have a hunch that their entries were a day off (i.e., the 105F was actually on the 24th).<\/p>\n The maximums at surrounding stations support a Greenland Ranch maximum of close to 120F, and not 124F.<\/p>\n The second-highest max temp for August 1926 at Greenland Ranch is the 119F on the 14th and 25th.<\/p>\n So, is the 124F at GR on the 24th authentic, and is the daily range of 53 degrees authentic? \u00a0I don’t know. \u00a0This one is 50-50. \u00a0I can’t wait for the Cow Creek daily temps to commence, but those are still 9 years off in the future!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Greenland Ranch climate forms for 1927<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n GR Jan 1927<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Feb 1927<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Mar 1927<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Apr 1927<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR May 1927<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Jun 1927<\/a><\/p>\n GR Jul 1927<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Aug 1927<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Sep 1927<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Oct 1927<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Nov 1927<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0GR Dec 1927<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Uh oh — The curse of the minimum thermometer returns in 1927 at Greenland Ranch. \u00a0Victor Ceballos signed the forms for January through November, and W.F. Murphees signed the December form. \u00a0I am not sure if I have the last few letters of Murphees’ name correct, as the signature is not easy to decipher. \u00a0And speaking of deciphering, again, many of the entries during 1927 are very difficult to discern. \u00a0Many of the numerals scribbled by Ceballos are easily mistaken for different numerals, if one can even make out a numeral as it is. \u00a0The poor quality of many of the climate form reproductions is also part of the problem here. \u00a0Set max temps were not provided, unfortunately, as sometimes knowing this value will help in figuring out the maximum. \u00a0 Observation time was 5 p.m. in 1927. \u00a0Did poor Victor have electricity and air conditioning yet? \u00a0Or maybe a swamp cooler?<\/p>\n A look at the January maximums causes a little heartburn. \u00a0All but one of the first 30 maximums range from 64F to 72F. \u00a0This is an awfully narrow range of maximums for four consecutive weeks in midwinter. \u00a0But, a quick look at the maximums at Trona show pretty much the same narrow range of maximums during the same January. \u00a0I can’t throw this month under the bus!<\/p>\n Average daily ranges start to diminish from February to April, and by the end of April there are some obviously bad (too high) minimums. \u00a0Of course, relatively small average daily ranges can occur in Death Valley when a month is unusually cloudy, rainy, and\/or windy. \u00a0There are no indications that such conditions prevailed during these months, however. \u00a0I took a look at Trona’s record in March. \u00a0It shows high temps of 84F on the 23rd, 24th and 25th. \u00a0This is around the spring equinox and the sun is high enough for good afternoon mixing, and Trona shows clear to partly cloudy skies. \u00a0So, Death Valley, almost 2000 feet lower than Trona, should be in the 90s, right? \u00a0Nope, according to the record. Ceballos entered highs of 71, 77 and 65F for these dates at Greenland Ranch. \u00a0How could Trona be so much warmer? \u00a0Nearby Beatty and Clay City, to the northeast of Greenland Ranch (and a little higher in elevation than Trona), show highs of 79F to 82F for the three days. \u00a0It would appear that the Greenland Ranch temperature reports for the 23rd to 25th are junk.<\/p>\n Many minimums appear to be far too warm during the last two weeks of April, 1927. \u00a0In fact, according to the WRCC climate page for Greenland Ranch, the month holds the records for warmest minimums for the dates of April 24 to 28th (and 30th). \u00a0Here are the daily temps for April 24 to 28:<\/p>\n 24) 102\/99<\/p>\n 25) 108\/100<\/p>\n 26) 108\/89<\/p>\n 27) 100\/98<\/p>\n 28) 108\/88<\/p>\n It looks like a minimum of 86 or 80F on the GR form to me for the 28th, but the WRCC page shows 88F. \u00a0Anyway, there are three dates here with absurdly small daily ranges at Greenland Ranch. \u00a0On the 25th, Beatty (92\/44) and Clay City (98\/50) had daily ranges of 48 degrees! \u00a0Why did Greenland Ranch have only 8 degrees? \u00a0Well, the max temp of 108F for the day looks very legitimate. \u00a0The minimums are WAY out of whack. Bad minimums started by April 19th, it appears, when 90\/80 was entered. \u00a0Again, the closest stations support the high temp, but not the low temp. \u00a0 My guess is that the minimum thermometer was again problematic, and the observer was either using a problematic thermometer to determine the lows, or he was estimating the minimums somehow. \u00a0Given the diminishing daily ranges from February through April, and given the obviously bad reports in March and April, it would seem prudent to deem all three months as having unreliable temperatures. \u00a0A close comparison should be made with the surrounding stations before accepting ANY of the Greenland Ranch temperature data for February, March and April of 1927.<\/p>\n For May, again the average daily range (22.9 degrees) is quite low, and a handful of days show minimums which are probably much too high. \u00a0Without knowing the wind and overnight sky conditions it is difficult to know for certain, but minimum temperatures are usually 25 to 35 degrees lower than previous sunny-day maximums at Furnace Creek. \u00a0On May 16th, the high was 111F, and the next morning low was 96F. \u00a0The high on the 17th was 102F. \u00a0 Could these be legitimate temperatures? \u00a0Yes, they could, if it was quite windy all night to help keep the lower atmosphere well-mixed and to keep the minimum temperature very warm. \u00a0The mid-May hot spell was quite impressive for mid-May, so let’s take a look at it, compared to temps at Trona, Clay City and Beatty:<\/p>\n Max and mins, May 12-18, 1927<\/p>\n GR<\/p>\n 12) 108\/85<\/p>\n 13) 110\/87<\/p>\n 14) 114\/88<\/p>\n 15) 118\/81<\/p>\n 16) 111\/79<\/p>\n 17) 102\/96<\/p>\n 18) 100\/75<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Summer daily ranges look okay, though July’s average daily range of 25.4 degrees is rather small. \u00a0Eleven minimums in July were exactly 100F. \u00a0None were higher than 100F. \u00a0With a dozen maximums of 120F to 124F, it might just be that lots of minimums were only 100F. \u00a0But to have so many minimums at exactly 100F is at least a LITTLE suspect.<\/p>\n August minimums look a bit high, and the average daily range is 27.2 degrees. \u00a0September daily ranges average 32.7 and October’s average is 44.1 degrees. \u00a0This large swing in daily ranges from summer to fall is, again, possible…but I tend to think that there is a problem or two going on. \u00a0A quick look at November shows nothing obvious, but December has problems. \u00a0Eight minimums in a row are 23F late in the month, with an even longer stretch of maximums from only 59F to 60F! \u00a0Given that a new observer signed this form, I think that Victor left Greenland Ranch for the Christmas holidays and a couple of weeks worth of daily temperatures are estimated.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"