The historic rainstorms that recently hit California kept a rare phenomenon around a lake in the famous hot spot Death Valley.
The lake formed in August after heavy rains and flash floods in the Badwater Basin, usually a salt flat, in Death Valley National Park. Remnants of Hurricane Hilarypark officials said.
The atmospheric river phenomena has brought heavy rain to much of California over the past two weeks and will remain around the lake for much longer than it currently has, The park said in a statement on Thursday.
“Most of us thought the lake would be gone by October,” park ranger Abby Wines said in a statement. “We were shocked to see it still here after almost six months. How long will this week’s rain last the lake stay here. It’s too shallow for skiing, but it creates a stunning reflection of the mountains.”
Death Valley typically gets just 2 inches of rain a year, but has avoided just 5 inches in the past six months, almost entirely due to Hilary and a recent atmospheric river event, the park said Thursday.
About 2.2 inches of rain fell in one day during Hilary, which hit California as a rare tropical storm. The floods have damaged roads and other infrastructure.
But it also at one point left the lake, which is 7 miles long, 4 miles wide and two feet deep, the National Park Service said.
Death Valley received 1.66 inches of rain earlier this week, according to the National Weather Service he said early Wednesday In the 72-hour rainfall report.
According to the park service, a temporary lake is rare in Badwater Basin. The basin itself is a former inland lake called Lake Manly, which has long since dried up. According to the park, it existed in two past periods and most recently dried up about 10,000 years ago.
Highs were in the 50s and 60s this week, despite an all-time record for the hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth and, if not a record, known for scorching summer temperatures. Average highs at Furnace Creek typically begin to reach 90 degrees in April. according to the park.
The hottest temperature ever recorded on the planet was recorded on July 10, 1913 at Furnace Creek in Death Valley. World Meteorological Organizationwith 134 degrees.