California was hit with an atmospheric river recently, plummeting the state in unrelenting heavy rain that went on for weeks on end.
The rain caused floods in the southernmost part of the state, which prompted Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency in order to receive aid for those affected.
In the desert, this bout of weather actually caused an extremely rare occurence: a dry region, Death Valley, has gotten enough rain that its transformed one of its dry lake beds into a temporary lake full enough that you can actually kayak on it.
The dry salt flat called Badwater Basin in Death Valley is at 282 feet below sea level and is the lowest elevation in North America.
Death Valley is considered the driest place in North America and usually, the area sees 2 inches of rain per year, but in the last six months alone, the region has seen that double with 4.9 inches of rain. Both the remnants of Hurricane Hilary and the atmospheric river contributed to that number.
In the aftermath, we’re seeing the Badwter Basin filled to levels that are possible to kayak on! As of February 14th, the lake is 1 inch deep and officials aren’t sure how long that will last. The last time there was a lake of this size formed it only lasted one week, and, according to officials, it’s still too early to tell how the rain has affected wildflower season.
Park ranger Abby Wines said in a press release that they’re encouraging people to come and enjoy the lake, whether that’s kayaking on it or relaxing and seeing the mountains reflection in the water.
“The lake was deep enough to kayak for a few weeks after Hurricane Hilary, but unfortunately people couldn’t come enjoy it then,” said Wines. “Every road in the park was damaged by flash floods, and it took two months to open the first road into the park. Now most of the main roads are open, so it’s a great time to come visit!”
Time will tell, but we’re just excited to see this amazing aftermath of mother nature in Death Valley.