What to know if you're going to visit Death Valley
Death Valley National Park is known as the hottest place on Earth, but that doesn't stop visitors from coming. If you're considering a visit, here's a rundown of what you should know.
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00:00 When you think of extreme heat, you might think of Death Valley, the national park on the California and Nevada border,
00:06 known as one of the lowest, hottest, and driest places on the planet.
00:10 Abby Wines of the National Park Service joins us now.
00:13 Abby, thank you very much for joining us.
00:15 This summer's heat has not deterred visitors, has it?
00:18 Why do you think they keep visiting Death Valley?
00:22 Well, largely it's because if you're traveling from Europe or another continent and you already have your travel plans made,
00:27 you're not going to not come because Death Valley is a little bit hotter than normal.
00:32 Everyone knows this is the hottest place on Earth.
00:34 You got it. I would still ask the question, why do people go?
00:39 It just seems like it's dangerous.
00:40 I mean, what are the most important precautions that national park rangers have to make sure that visitors know?
00:47 Heat can be very dangerous, heat kills, and it should not be taken lightly.
00:52 However, it is completely possible to visit Death Valley National Park in the summer and be safe.
00:57 Most important thing to do is take the heat seriously.
01:00 Stay close to your vehicle so that you always have an air conditioned refuge to escape to.
01:05 So short walks, not more than five minutes.
01:08 Have plenty of water, food and snacks with you.
01:12 Good advice. Hey, in 1913 in Death Valley, you probably know this.
01:17 The record for the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth was set right there in Death Valley, 134.1 degrees Fahrenheit.
01:25 So compared to that, how has this summer gone for you?
01:29 This summer didn't get hotter than 128, so you might think that that sounds cool.
01:34 But we said our third longest heat streak ever with 17 days where the high temperature was between 121 and 128.
01:43 That was miserable. Wow, that makes sense, because now I remember that Phoenix, Arizona,
01:48 not too far away from you, also had a new record hot streak of at least 110 degrees.
01:55 But of course, you're going to you're going to always be one up on Phoenix.
01:58 Now, what about in the winter season?
02:00 What's the normal temperature range for people that might visit in the winter?
02:05 And is the park open in the winter? Oh, yes.
02:08 The winter is lovely here. High temperatures are often in the 60s.
02:12 So great camping and hiking temperatures. Oh, that's great.
02:15 And I know, of course, any time people are outside in the great outdoors in the southwest,
02:21 especially, we have to really be mindful of monsoon season, which we're in right now.
02:27 And maybe give people an idea of how they can prepare for things like that and what dangers they might face this time of year.
02:35 Yes, if you're not in a part of the country where flash floods happen,
02:40 it will be a river of mud and rocks moving through and you can't tell how deep the water is.
02:44 So if you see active flooding in front of you, turn around and don't drown.
02:48 That is the most important message. OK, that's great information.
02:52 Abby Wines from Death Valley, we really appreciate your time today.
02:56 Stay safe out there. And people probably always say this to you, but try to stay cool.
03:02 I'll try. Thank you.
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