Setting Records at Furnace Creek


With a 2010 tally of 20 people, Furnace Creek, California, is so sparsely populated that it is not a town, or village, or hamlet, but, instead, it’s called a “census-designated place.” The lack of home dwellers here might seem a bit anomalous, as it contains the headquarters, visitor center, and museum for a National Park. But Furnace Creek is famous for another reason that might drive higher population away. Yes, it houses National Park infrastructure, but that particular park just happens to be Death Valley.

And last week, in Furnace Creek, thermometers hit a level that is most likely an all-time high for the entire world.

A gate emblazoned with the words "Furnace Creek Ranch"
Entrance to lodging in Death Valley National Park - photo by Tobias1983

On Sunday, August 16, the National Weather Service reported a measurement of 130 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 54.4 degrees Celsius. Yikes!

Pending reviews by experts, the reading represents the highest August temperature at the site by at least three degrees and could be the hottest moment in recorded history.

Could be?

The record for the highest temperature ever is, according to the World Meteorological Organization, 134 degrees Fahrenheit. That measurement occurred in July 1913 at Death Valley. Another moment is also potentially higher than 2020’s reading. That one happened in 1931 in Tunisia, topping out at 131 degrees Fahrenheit. But many weather experts believe the older data to be inaccurate. Measurements from nearby locales do not support the readings from those early 20th-century dates.

A handwritten ledger of temperatures in 1913 at Furnace Creek
The original report on the 1913 record in Death Valley

The highest universally accepted temperature spiked in Death Valley on 1 July 2013. That day the proverbial mercury touched 129 degrees Fahrenheit. If this month’s assessment stands, it will easily top 2013’s hot day by a full degree.

This summer has been particularly blazing in the American Southwest, with Los Angeles and Phoenix setting heat records left and right. The average temperature in Phoenix in July was 99 degrees Fahrenheit. That average includes nighttime!

A graphic showing temperatures of 127 degrees Fahrenheit at Death Valley
Official conditions from Death Valley on the record-setting date

So maybe there’s a reason only 20 residents call Furnace Creek home.

The spot receives an average of 2.36 inches of rain per year. Since 1911, the average daily high in July is a scorching 116.5 degrees Fahrenheit. The average daily low in July comes in at a chilly 88 degrees.

In addition to the air temperature being super hot, Furnace Creek also potentially holds the record for the hottest ground temperature at 201 degrees. That’s literally under a dozen shy of the temperature required to boil water.

But lest we think it’s all death rays and hellscape, Death Valley National Park is supposedly a wonderful visit and Furnace Creek purports to contain the world’s lowest golf course. At 214 feet below sea level, while many outdoor activities pause over the summer, the Heatsroke Open in Furance Creek persists, as the golf course does not close.

What are the green fees in Hell?

A quick 18, anyone? - photo by Peter Yoons
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