Unprecedented Rainfall in Death Valley Reforms Ancient Lake
Death Valley, part of the Mojave Desert stretching across California and Nevada, is known for its extreme weather – but in recent weeks, it has broken records for rain rather than high temperatures.
The US National Park Service (NPS) has reported unprecedented rainfall in Death Valley National Park, and the deluge has been so strong and persistent that an ancient lake has reformed.
Located in Badwater Basin – the lowest point in North America – Lake Manly was possibly more than 300 meters (1,000 feet) deep at one point in its fluctuating history. However, it hasn’t been seen in permanent form for more than 10,000 years, since the effects of the last Ice Age faded from the landscape.
Thanks to the record-breaking rainfall, the lake is back, sort of, though current levels “would not rise above the tops of your shoes” in most places, according to the NPS. There won’t be any boat trips for a while yet.
The lake has partially reformed numerous times over the years after periods of intense rainfall. It also made a brief, shallow reappearance after Hurricane Hilary passed through the region in 2023.
According to the records, Death Valley has had its wettest fall (September to November) to date, with 2.41 inches (6.12 centimeters) of rain. The area has also logged its wettest November ever, with 1.76 inches of rain, beating the previous record of 1.7 inches.
Compared to other regions, that’s not much rain. But the average annual rainfall in Death Valley (one of the driest places on Earth) is less than 2 inches, so this represents a sudden and intense burst of wet weather. If you get nearly a year’s worth of rain in a month, you’re going to notice.
This meteorological anomaly has raised questions around the spring wildflowers in Death Valley National Park. Rain helps plant life, but it’s only one factor among many: The NPS says it’s still uncertain how all this will affect next year’s blooms.
Officials are warning tourists that many paved and unpaved roads in the park are impassable currently due to storm debris. As always, visitors are advised to check the latest information on the official government website.
The NPS hasn’t gone into detail about why this unusual weather system occurred, but we know the pressures of climate change are causing records to be broken all across the world. Weather extremes are expected to become more frequent, longer lasting, and even more severe as the planet warms.
The event is also a reminder that the landscapes we see around us have been formed over billions of years and have changed a lot across that time. Even a place as dry and desolate as Death Valley has significantly evolved across the millennia.
Lake Manly had its heyday 128,000–186,000 years ago, when it would have stretched across almost 100 miles (161 kilometers) of terrain, fed by ice and rivers across the Sierra Nevada.
