{"id":31973,"date":"2021-07-21T20:18:51","date_gmt":"2021-07-22T04:18:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stormbruiser.com\/chase\/?p=31973"},"modified":"2021-09-06T19:33:06","modified_gmt":"2021-09-07T03:33:06","slug":"july-10-2021-hot-drive-to-death-valley-and-a-high-of-129-4f","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stormbruiser.com\/chase\/2021\/07\/21\/july-10-2021-hot-drive-to-death-valley-and-a-high-of-129-4f\/","title":{"rendered":"July 10, 2021 Hot Drive to Death Valley, and a high of 129.4F!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A very warm airmass was forecast to build over the Death Valley region beginning about July 8. \u00a0Heights of 6000 meters at the 500 millibar level were showing up in the forecast charts for the 10th and 11th, if I recall correctly. \u00a0Temperatures of 19C to 20C at 700 millibars were expected from the 9th to the 11th. \u00a0Numbers such as these have been associated with the very hottest days in the Death Valley region in summer in the previous few decades. \u00a0The weather was looking good for another run at 130F at the Furnace Creek station in Death Valley! \u00a0This station managed its first reliable maximum of 130F in the prior summer, with 129.9F on August 16, 2020. \u00a0 I missed out on being there last year by one day.<\/a>\u00a0 as the hottest day (at Death Valley\/Furnace Creek) wound up coming a day earlier than I was figuring and hoping. \u00a0I had a work shift at LAX on the 130F day and was out there the following day, which reached 127F.<\/p>\n

My writeup with the meteorology, charts and data for this event is here.<\/a><\/p>\n

I needed to try again. \u00a0I need to be out at the Death Valley weather station on the afternoon when the temperature hits 130F or more! \u00a0For this current event, it was looking good as I had the day off on July 10th, which, along with the 11th, were looking like the hottest days. \u00a0And, like deja vu all over again, as I was working an LAX shift on July 9th, Death Valley hit 130.0F. \u00a0This entry is the story of my drive to Death Valley on the following day, July 10, when the official maximum temperature reached 129.4F.<\/p>\n

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It is about a 5-hour drive from Thousand Oaks to Furnace Creek, with a few stops along the way. \u00a0Here are the times and temperatures for my trip on July 10, 2021:<\/p>\n

8:55 a.m.\/Westlake Village\/75F<\/strong><\/p>\n

9:20\/101 and 405 freeways in Sherman Oaks\/80F \u00a0few Ac and good vis<\/strong><\/p>\n

9:52\/Escondido Summit Hwy 14, 3258\u2019\/91F \u00a0scattered Ac<\/strong><\/p>\n

10:02\/Hwy 14 Lake Palmdale\/97F \u00a0west breeze<\/strong><\/p>\n

10:26\/Hwy 14 and D in Lancaster\/105F \u00a0breezy<\/strong><\/p>\n

10:30\/Rosamond\/103F<\/strong><\/p>\n

11:13\/Mojave\/105F<\/strong><\/p>\n

11:29\/Jawbone Canyon Rd and Hwy 14\/110F<\/strong><\/p>\n

11:30\/Hwy 14 and Garlock Road\/109F<\/strong><\/p>\n

11:44\/Garlock\/108F \u00a0light wind, few Ac<\/strong><\/p>\n

11:30\/Hwy 14 and Garlock Road\/109F<\/strong><\/p>\n

11:52\/Hwy 395 and Garlock Road\/106F<\/strong><\/p>\n

11:56\/Searles Station Road and 395\/106F<\/strong><\/p>\n

12:06\/Trona Road and Searles Station Road\/108F \u00a0light wind and a few Cu and Ac<\/strong><\/p>\n

12:10\/Trona Road hilltop\/106.5F \u00a0light wind<\/strong><\/p>\n

12:17\/Hwy 178 and Trona Road\/112F<\/strong><\/p>\n

12:26\/Hwy 178 (Trona Road) at the Pinnacles Rd.\/112F<\/strong><\/p>\n

12:29\/Westend\/112F<\/strong><\/p>\n

12:32\/Argus\/113F<\/strong><\/p>\n

12:33\/Trona\/112F \u00a0light east breeze 3-6 mph, few cu over\u00a0<\/strong>mountains, and few Ac<\/b><\/p>\n

12:50\/Trona High School (north side of town)\/115F <\/strong><\/p>\n

12:52\/Inyo-San Bernardino County line on Trona-Wildrose Rd.\/105F Wind S 5 mph<\/strong><\/p>\n

1:04 p.m.\/Trona-Wildrose Rd at top of pass into Panamint Valley\/109F\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

1:12\/Trona-Wildrose Rd in Panamint Valley at Nadeau Road\/116F<\/strong><\/p>\n

1:16\/Trona-Wildrose Rd in Panamint Valley at Ballarat Road\/118F \u00a0light wind<\/strong><\/p>\n

1:24\/5 miles north of Ballarat Road\/118F<\/strong><\/p>\n

1:30\/Trona-Wildrose Rd in Panamint Valley at Wildrose Road split\/118F<\/strong><\/p>\n

1:36\/Panamint Valley Rd. at Minnietta Road\/118F<\/strong><\/p>\n

1:45\/Highway 190 and Panamint Valley Rd.\/120F<\/strong><\/p>\n

1:47\/Highway 190 across dry lake bed in Panamint Valley\/118.5F<\/strong><\/p>\n

1:49\/Hwy 190 grade eastbound, 2000\u2019\/118F<\/strong><\/p>\n

1:52\/Hwy 190 grade eastbound, 3000\u2019\/113F<\/strong><\/p>\n

1:55\/Hwy 190 grade eastbound, 4000\u2019\/108F<\/strong><\/p>\n

1:57\/Hwy 190 at Towne Pass, 4956\u2019\/103F. dew point 53F, Ac and scattered flat Cu<\/strong><\/p>\n

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2:03\/Hwy 190 downgrade eastbound, 4000\u2019\/108F \u00a0hazy to the east in the basin, light wind<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:05\/Hwy 190, 3000\u2019\/112F<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:08\/Hwy 190, Emigrant Ranger Station\/115F<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:09\/Hwy 190, 2000\u2019\/117F \u00a0dew point 61F<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:12\/Hwy 190, 1000\u2019\/123F<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:19\/Hwy 190, Stovepipe Wells (+5? elevation)\/126F \u00a0light wind<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:29\/190 at the Mesquite Sand Dunes\/126.5F \u00a0 dew point 64F<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:33\/190 at the Devils Cornfield\/127F<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:34\/sea level sign on 190 near road to Scottys Castle\/125F<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:37\/on 190 heading SSE to Furnace Creek\/126F<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:38\/sea level sign\/128F<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:40\/190 at Salt Creek Rd (below sea level)\/129F<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:41\/126F<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:43\/129F<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:45\/128F<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:47\/126F \u00a0 light wind, scattered Ac<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:49\/128F<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:51\/190 at Cow Creek\/127F<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:52\/190 at Mustard Canyon\/128F<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:53\/190 at the Visitors Center\/127F<\/strong><\/p>\n

3:07 p.m. PDT\/walking around the official Furnace Creek weather station near the Visitors Center\/Kestrel readings ranging from about 127.5F to 130.0F. \u00a0Wind light and from the WNW, estimated 4-8 mph. \u00a0 Kestrel readings of 127F when walking into the wind west of the station.<\/strong><\/p>\n

3:14 p.m.\/Kestrel reading of 127.6F when walking into the wind west of the station, wind estimated WNW at 7 mph.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Temperature measurements while driving were with the Kestrel, mounted on the outside rear-view mirror, with very fast flow past the shaded sensor. \u00a0I consider the Kestrel temperature readings to be very accurate. \u00a0The instrument is very sensitive to temperature changes, and it is typical to see the readings covering a 2-to-4 degree F temperature range during a 5-10 second period while driving. \u00a0 That is normal for the desert on sunny summer afternoons. \u00a0I chose a “middle-ground” or “average” temperature for the observations shown above. \u00a0 The actual sensor is generally shaded by the instrument’s plastic structure. \u00a0See the images below for a good look at the Kestrel instrument and how I had it taped to the outside mirror for the readings while driving.<\/p>\n

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My Kestrel dew point readings are on the high side, and the values above are adjustments, usually 3-4 degrees F lower than the instrument reading. \u00a0The values provided above are still five or more degrees higher than area stations were showing.<\/p>\n

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