By Mary Gilbert
Temperatures (click here) have been on the rise for much of the southwestern United States this week, leaving residents to swelter while daily record highs are placed in jeopardy, particularly in California's Death Valley, where temperatures climbed above 120 degrees Fahrenheit. AccuWeather forecasters say the sizzling heat will continue for much of the weekend, but much-needed relief is on the horizon.
A northward bulge in the jet stream unfolded over the Southwestern states this week, allowing air more typical of the middle of summer to spread over the region. This push of unseasonably hot air sent thermometers across the Southwest to impressive levels as some cities recorded the highest temperatures of the year so far.
On Wednesday, Phoenix recorded its first 110-F reading of the year as the Valley of the Sun baked in the midst of July-like heat. The city typically first hits this milestone around June 13.
Las Vegas also recorded its highest temperature of the year so far for the second consecutive day when the mercury soared to 109 F on Friday, also breaking the daily record of 108 degrees set in 1996. The city had previously seen the highest temperature of the year on Thursday when the mercury rose to 108 degrees. In early June, high temperatures in Sin City usually reach into the upper 90s, meaning the two days' readings were an impressive 10 degrees above average....
Six days later the cost of gas strikes again. The family should sue the petroleum industry for this death. He wasn't able to fill his car's tank and over estimated his ability to cross the desert with it. Who thinks about dying from heat stroke in a trusted car?
Did the gentleman have a personal phone and was that note published on social media somewhere? Heat stroke can occur quickly.
The mountains in the distance on the Death Valley Scenic Highway can be as much as 188 miles away. That is a lot of gas to burn to get safely through that national park. If a car gets 30 mpg it would take more than 6 gallons of gas to reach the other side of the park. At a cost of $5.00 per gallon, that is $30.00. Air conditioning makes gas mileage less efficient. $30 is a lot of money for many people and was at one time enough to fill up the tank of a car.
Americans need to adjust their thinking because the Climate Crisis is here and is taking lives.
By Zachary Rosenthal
Visitors to Death Valley National Park (click here) made a grisly discovery earlier this week: the body of a man who appeared to succumb to extreme temperatures during a record-setting June heat wave.
The deceased, 67-year-old David Kelleher of Huntington Beach, California, appeared to have run out gas while traveling through the California park, which has some of the hottest and most extreme weather on Earth. Temperatures rose to a sweltering 123 degrees Fahrenheit on June 10, shattering the daily record high of 120 set in 1994.
In a statement, the National Park Service wrote that Kelleher’s vehicle was found in the parking lot of Zabriskie Point, a popular hiking area and a top spot for visitors to view the sunrise and sunset. A park ranger noticed the vehicle, which was the only one in the parking lot on June 8. Three days later, the ranger noticed the vehicle for a second time, as it was once again the last vehicle in the lot.
A closer inspection of the vehicle revealed a crumbled note inside that read "out of gas."...
