California's Death Valley Breaks 115-Year-Old Rainfa...

By Anna Skinner

Senior Reporter

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Death Valley broke a 115-year record after the driest place in North America was hit by more than 1.75 inches of rain in November, making it the rainiest November on record, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Why It Matters

The rainfall record comes after a strong atmospheric river hit Southern California in mid-November. An atmospheric river is a “long, narrow region in the atmosphere—like rivers in the sky—that transports most of the water vapor outside of the tropics,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The storms brought by atmospheric rivers are more commonly found on the West Coast, particularly during the winter months. Although the storms can bring beneficial rain that helps supplement reservoirs throughout the summer dry season, they can also trigger deadly flooding, mudslides and widespread power outages.

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What to Know

In mid-November, an early-season atmospheric river brought record-breaking rainfall to Southern California.

Typically, atmospheric rivers don't hit Southern California until later in the winter, but the moisture-laden storm brought more than 5 inches of rain to Los Angeles and more than 10 inches to the Santa Barbara airport. The heavy rain completely eliminated drought across the region.

In addition to breaking its November rainfall records, Death Valley also broke records for the period from September through November, known as meteorological fall.

"Meteorological Fall (Sep - Nov) has now ended, and it was quite wet in some parts of our area! - Las Vegas: 2.91" (2nd wettest) - Bishop: 2.16" (7th wettest) - Barstow 2.03" (9th wettest) - Death Valley 2.41" (wettest on record!)," the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Las Vegas, which issues forecasts for the Death Valley area, posted on X on Monday.

Furnace Creek typically only sees .1 inches of rain throughout the entire month of November, NWS meteorologist Clay Morgan told Newsweek, meaning it saw more than 1,000 percent of its average for the month.

The National Park Service (NPS) closed several park roads after the storm on November 15 produced floods, which worsened after additional rainfall a few days later. In some cases, the roads remain closed with no reopening date set.

As of Monday, there was no flood threat at Death Valley. However, the region was under a freeze warning, with NWS meteorologists warning of temperatures as low as 30 degrees.

What People Are Saying

Morgan previously told Newsweek: "Death Valley is extremely flood-prone. The ground out there is extremely hard and rocky. It's basically like pouring water on a tabletop. For that reason, you could have mudslides, rivers of water, mud, rocks, debris, anything else it can pick up that can flow across roadways downhill of wherever it falls."

NPS in a road closure announcement: "The roads were completely washed out in places and entry will cause tire tracks and braided roads in wilderness as users try to locate what was once the road."

What Happens Next

The NWS Climate Prediction Center is anticipating above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation for Death Valley and the rest of Southern California throughout the next week.

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