One person suffered heat stroke in Death Valley on June 1st (she survived), and another person was found dead, presumably from the heat, on June 9th. High temperatures at Furnace Creek during this period ranged from 115F to 120F.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS VEF wrote it up.
One person suffered heat stroke in Death Valley on June 1st (she survived), and another person was found dead, presumably from the heat, on June 9th. High temperatures at Furnace Creek during this period ranged from 115F to 120F.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Las Vegas, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 1, 1:06 AM PST, 11 hours 24 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 205 AM PDT WED JUNE 1 2016 .SYNOPSIS...A significant warming trend is underway and will peak over the weekend, with dangerously hot temperatures expected Friday through Sunday. && .SHORT TERM...Through Friday night. Weak backdoor frontal passage early this morning has kicked up some enhanced northeast winds across some areas this morning including the Las Vegas valley. These winds will be short lived and will have little impact on the sensible weather today. The first triple digit heat day in Las Vegas is likely as high pressure builds across the Southwest, and temperatures will continue to rise into the weekend. High temperatures Friday afternoon will approach or possibly exceed records for many areas, and the record high of 107F set in 1957 is in jeopardy with our forecast high of 108. Death Valley may eclipse 120F Friday afternoon. .LONG TERM...Saturday through Tuesday. Minimal changes needed to the forecast this morning as models remain fairly consistent from run to run. High pressure will keep high temperatures near record territory over the weekend with the excessive heat warning still looking good. An upper trough will move across California into Nevada Monday which will cool temperatures roughly 5 degrees while also bringing a chance of thunderstorms to the Sierra. The trough looks to weaken a bit Tuesday but may still linger over Nevada with minor temperature changes compared to Monday and isolated thunderstorms still possible over the Sierra. && .AVIATION...For McCarran...Similar conditions to Tuesday expected with morning north winds of 8 to 12 knots easing by mid afternoon and becoming light and variable. Afternoon temperatures will almost certainly exceed 100 degrees. For the rest of southern Nevada...northwest Arizona...and southeast California...Fair weather and hot temperatures will dominate the region. Afternoon high temperatures will exceed 100 degrees for most TAF sites with the exception of Bishop where temperatures will peak in the mid 90s. Light winds expected. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather according to standard operating procedures. && Short Term/Aviation...Outler Long Term...Harrison For more forecast information...see us on our webpage: http://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 heat. Local standard time, as filed.
Two people were stranded in the park when their car became stuck in loose sand. They walked for two miles before being found. One of them, described as an older woman, suffered from heat stroke. She recovered after a week in the hospital.
Two park visitors found a dead motorcyclist on Harry Wade Road in the extreme southern end of the park June 9th. It is unknown when the man died.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat, Death Valley National Park | 2016-06-09 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in California, June 2016
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 643019, 643020.