Reflecting on a Major Heat-Wave in Death Valley, California (credit: This Day in Weather History)

DISCUSSION: As we turn the clocks all the way back to August 18th, 1917, we find ourselves at a notable point in California state weather history.  Many people from around the globe are aware of the fact that Death Valley, California is particularly well-known as one of the more consistent locations within the United States which seasonally experiences particularly hot Summer-time day-time high temperatures. However, when it comes to setting day-to-day day-time high temperature records in this part of the United States, there are very few periods of time during any year in recorded history which stacks up to the Summer of 1917.  It was during the Summer season of 1917 that surface observing stations in Death Valley, California recorded a remarkable 43 straight days with day-time high temperatures of at or above 120 degrees Fahrenheit.  The historical part of this being the 100th anniversary of August 18, 1917 is that this marks the anniversary of day on which this day-time high temperature streak of 120 degrees Fahrenheit or above ended since the maximum day-time high temperature on August 18, 1917 only managed to reach 119 degrees Fahrenheit.  Nonetheless, this neat historical weather factoid goes to show what this region is capable of producing temperature-wise under the right circumstances for a long enough period of time.

To learn more about other past historic weather events from around the world, be sure to click here!

​©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz