News Release

Hottest June on record

Date: July 2, 2021
Contact: Abby Wines (NPS), 760-786-3221
Contact: National Weather Service, 702-263-9744

DEATH VALLEY, CA – Death Valley National Park had its hottest June on record this year, with an average day/night temperature of 102.8°F. June 2021 beat the previous record by 1°F.

The normal average June temperature is 95.0°F, for records extending back to 1912. Every June for the past decade has exceeded this average.

The heat wave that affected much of the West in mid-June peaked at 128°F in Death Valley on June 17, which broke the daily record by six degrees. Seven days in the month set new daily records for high temperatures.

Nights brought little relief from the heat. On June 18, the lowest temperature was 101°F.

Death Valley’s dramatic landscape ranges from 282 feet below sea level to 11,049 feet above. This landscape causes Death Valley to be hotter than Lone Pine, Pahrump or other surrounding areas. Clear, dry air, and minimal plant coverage means there’s little to block the sun from heating up the ground. Heat radiates from the ground back into the air. Hot air rises, but is trapped by the steep mountains, and recirculates to the valley floor, part of which is 282 feet below sea level. Then the heating continues.

The park’s extreme heat attracts people seeking to experience a temperature hotter than they ever have before. Park rangers say it is possible to visit Death Valley safely in the summer. Limit heat exposure by not walking more than 5 minutes from an air-conditioned vehicle. Travel on paved roads where your vehicle will be found in case of a break-down. There is no cell phone service in most of the vast park. Rescues are not always possible because park rangers cannot safely work for extended periods in the heat and helicopters cannot get sufficient lift at high temperatures.