More than 300 people live year-round in Death Valley, one of the hottest places on Earth. Here's what it's like.
As the film says, Death Valley is not a place you want to be without water, as while a human can survive three days without water, in this desert you can live just 14 hours.
Almost all of the people who reside in Furnace Creek work and live at the world famous The Oasis at Death Valley, a sprawling resort made up of two hotels, a golf course, tennis courts and swimming pool. It employs 140 staff, all of whom live on site.
During winter, average temperatures range from the mid-60s to the low 70s with overnight lows frequently dropping into the upper 30s. Those cooler conditions combine with clear, sunny days to make winter the perfect season to get explore Death Valley National Park.
Death Valley is no stranger to heat. Sitting 282 feet below sea level in the Mojave Desert in southeastern California near the Nevada border, it is the lowest, driest and hottest location in the United States. It is sparsely populated, with just 576 residents, according to the most recent census.
Death Valley Academy is a fully accredited 7-12 Public School.
But the unprecedented day in 1922 was the only time a measurable amount has ever fallen. According to data from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Death Valley snow was observed at a weather station situated at Greenland Ranch on Jan. 29, 1922, when a half-inch was recorded.
The National Weather Service initially reported 1.46 inches of rain, which was recorded by an automated gauge. The agency now recognizes 1.70 inches, recorded manually by National Park Service rangers, as the more reliable number. This is three-quarters of Death Valley's 2.20-inch average annual rainfall.
Dallol, Ethiopia
Extremely remote and set in the far north of Ethiopia, Dallol is a tiny village known for setting records. It's the hottest year-round spot in the world, with the average annual high temperature coming in at a blistering 106.1 degrees F.
Pets are allowed in the park, but only in developed areas such as campgrounds and along roads. Included in park entry fee. It is difficult to travel with a pet in Death Valley National Park if you plan to spend time away from your vehicle.
Death Valley National Park
Parts of "Return of the Jedi," "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" and many other classic movies including "Jonathan Livingston Seagull," "The Greatest Story Ever Told," "King Solomon's Mines," "Spartacus" and "Tarzan" were also shot in Death Valley.
Timbisha (Tümpisa) or Panamint (also called Koso) is the language of the Native American people who have inhabited the region in and around Death Valley, California, and the southern Owens Valley since late prehistoric times.
Sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and long sleeved-clothing are definitely necessary as there is little to no shade in Death Valley. Water – Dehydration can happen quickly in the desert, so the National Park Service recommends that you drink one gallon of water per day. Always carry water with you, especially while hiking.
For drinking needs, there's a reverse osmosis facility operated by the National Park Service that purifies the water and raises it to potable standards.In the second system, the springs directly feed the swimming pools at The Inn at Death Valley (formerly The Inn at Furnace Creek) and The Ranch at Death Valley ( ...
Camping. Death Valley has a variety of campgrounds from primitive to full hook-up.
You can get drinking water easily and for free in Death Valley. Nobody tells you how surprisingly easy it is to get drinking water in America's hottest place.
Darwin, Northern Territory
It is the city in Australia with the highest average temperature and the highest average monthly maximum temperature. The driest month is July and the wettest is January.
Australia is currently the hottest country in the world, taking nine of the top ten spots for global towns and cities in the last 24 hours. Eucla in Western Australia was the hottest place on earth on Tuesday, hitting a high of 45.6C.
Oodnadatta, South Australia
The record for the highest official temperature ever recorded in Australia belongs to the remote outback town of Oodnadatta in South Australia.
The biggest factor behind Death Valley's extreme heat is its elevation. Parts of it are below sea level, even though the area is 250 miles (400 kilometers) inland from any major body of water. Also, a major set of mountains (the Sierra Nevada) block moisture from the Pacific from reaching the basin.
Coyotes, ravens, roadrunners, ground squirrels and lizards are the most commonly seen wildlife of the region, but there are many species who thrive here, hidden or unnoticed by visitors.
Of note: Death Valley holds the world record for hottest temperature ever at 134°F, which was measured back in July 1913.
Badwater Basin, the Death Valley salt pan and the Panamint mountain range comprise one block that is rotating eastward as a structural unit. The valley floor has been steadily slipping downward, subsiding along the fault that lies at the base of the Black Mountains. Subsidence continues today.
But when it comes to surface temperature, two spots have Death Valley beat. A new analysis of high-resolution satellite data finds the Lut Desert in Iran and the Sonoran Desert along the Mexican-U.S. border have recently reached a sizzling 80.8°C (177.4°F).