Death Valley - Coldest Decades

The coldest decades on record are ranked here for Death Valley, California. The lists include decades when Death Valley had the lowest average temperatures, the fewest hot days and the most cold days. These extremes are for temperatures observed at Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park and cover six decades, from the 1960s to the 2010s.

That is when Death Valley had weather measurements that are consistent and complete enough to compare decades. Each decade comprises a standard 10-year range. For instance, the 1990s includes measurements from Jan 1, 1990 to Dec 31, 1999. Links to the data behind these lists are in the References section on this page.

Coolest High Temperatures

Average daily maximum temperature at Death Valley
High °F Decade High °C
Lowest 90.0 1970s 32.2
Runner-up 90.2 1960s 32.4

Coldest Low Temperatures

Average daily minimum temperature at Death Valley
Low °F Decade Low °C
Lowest 60.9 1990s 16.1
Runner-up 62.1 1980s 16.7

Fewest Warm Days

Total days per year on average when Death Valley had temperatures of at least 70 °F (21 °C)
Days Decade
Lowest 301 1960s
Runner-up 302 1970s

Fewest Hot Days

Total days per year on average when Death Valley had temperatures of at least 90 °F (32 °C)
Days Decade
Lowest 186 1970s
Runner-up 187 1980s

Most Freezing Days

Total days per year on average when Death Valley had temperatures of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower
Days Decade
Highest 15 1990s
Runner-up 14 1960s
References

Current Results. 2020. Death Valley CA Temperature Averages by Decade

Jay Lawrimore, Ron Ray, Scott Applequist, Bryant Korzeniewski, Matthew Menne. 2016. Global Summary of the Year, Version 1.0. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

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