The Climate of Death Valley, California

Abstract

Death Valley, California, is one of the most extreme environments in the world. The floor of the valley, which is below sea level, is one of the hottest and driest places on Earth. This article and associated data files compile and describe the complete daily weather observations for Greenland Ranch and Furnace Creek (on the floor of Death Valley) for the entire period of record (1911–2002). This article explains the unique climate of Death Valley and serves two purposes: to make widely available the complete record of weather observations from the floor of Death Valley, California; and to encourage researchers, educators, and students to explore the available data and compare their local climate to that of Death Valley.