Christmas in Death Valley

[Richard Raymond]

Ok, we are having a little rain whipping through the southwest. Storm strong enough to put 15 feet (@5 meters) of snow over on the eastern Sierras. Besides the lakes in Death Valley and the Death Valley Yacht club at Bad Water what kind of unusual photo opportunities does this storm provide?

[Jeffrey Sipress]

Overturned vehicles in mud and washed out roads.

[Eric James]

Perhaps you can be the first to see the playa rocks in motion.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

Helicopters attempting to rescue visitors from raging torrents.

[Bruce Watson]

...what kind of unusual photo opportunities does this storm provide?

Similar weather occurred in early 2005 IIRC (I could well be off a year or so in either direction). I visited Joshua Tree NP in February I think. What I found was a green desert. All the grasses were green due to the surprising rains. Death Valley NP was basically a NOP since many of the roads had washed out. But reports in April said they had the best wild flowers in many years (decades?).

The deserts are used to feast and famine; the plants and animals use feast years to the utmost.

But the immediate impact is washes full of water, mud slides, rock slides, and general mayhem.

[Jlentz]

FWIW I was in Zion on Saturday and I got a shot of refrigerator canyon pouring water like bridal veil falls. The temple of sinewava was pretty nice too. Sadly I didn't get it on my 4x5...:(


I've been in Moab since Sunday and its been almost a solid overcast here, I'm driving back to Vegas tomorrow and I may try to get back into Zion if I can to get some flooding shots.

Death Valley would be neat if there is some water.

[EdWorkman]

Water, yes well
When it gets really rainy at Furnace Creek the water system gets flooded and therefor insanitary, so take bottled water- no really