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Excessive Heat — Joshua Tree Np East, California
August 20, 2020 · NOAA Storm Events record
Event narrative (NOAA)
During a record-setting month for heat, a prolonged period of unseasonably high temperatures was observed during the middle of the month. Afternoon temperatures were reaching upwards of 105-115 degrees each day and only cooling off into the upper-70 to low-80s in the mornings. On the 20th, at the end of this week and a half long stretch of heat, the body of a 42 year old male was discovered next to a sedan along Black Eagle Mine Road in Joshua Tree National Park by park visitors. It appeared the man's vehicle became disabled/stuck on the unpaved and unmaintained road that is intended for 4x4 vehicles. Park officials deemed the fatality heat-caused and said that the man likely died several hours before being found.
Other notable excessive heat events in California
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.