In an ironic weather twist -
 

This past week, while a goodly portion of the country is battling excessive heat, my hometown of El Paso has been experiencing highs in the high 60s and low 70s with mucho rainfall. It's been a joy to ride through this weather, knowing that our normal triple-digits will return shortly. So strange that my desert burg is so much cooler than the NW! WashingtonOregon riders, are y'all taking days off?

I live in Florida so I'm not one of the riders you're questioning, but... I've never decided against riding because it was too hot, but I don't go out to ride if it's raining.

Not strange at all. Anomalous weather has been predicted for decades. I'm not in PNW, but I just ride slower when temps are in the 90s than in the 70s and 80s. Like Random, I don't go out in the rain. In fact, I'll go out only if probability of rain is 25% or less.

You guys are missing out! Sure, if it's thunder-stormy and there's lightning and the rain is coming down sideways, that's a deal breaker - but I love riding in a soft, gentle rain. There's just something refreshing about it.

Just a few weeks ago i was climbing a long ramp in a chilly drizzle, somewhere outside Seattle, thinking how much it sucked. But then the heat came, and i stayed inside wishing for a chilly rain.

Riding in the rain on days when the temp is above 20 degrees C is quite nice. It's especially nice if you're riding a belt-drive, because then you know you won't have to clean and relube the chain.

We've started getting 90F / 32.2C lows.

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PRELIMINARY LOCAL CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA (WS FORM: F-6)

STATION: LAS VEGAS NV
MONTH: JULY
YEAR: 2021
LATITUDE: 36 4 N
LONGITUDE: 115 10 W

TEMPERATURE IN F: :PCPN: SNOW: WIND :SUNSHINE: SKY :PK WND
================================================================================
1 2 3 4 5 6A 6B 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
12Z AVG MX 2MIN
DY MAX MIN AVG DEP HDD CDD WTR SNW DPTH SPD SPD DIR MIN PSBL S-S WX SPD DR
================================================================================

1 106 79 93 1 0 28 0.00 0.0 0 5.5 16 230 M M 2 23 230
2 108 82 95 3 0 30 0.00 0.0 0 4.6 15 170 M M 1 21 170
3 106 88 97 5 0 32 0.00 0.0 0 9.0 25 280 M M 6 34 270
4 104 87 96 4 0 31 T 0.0 0 6.2 15 90 M M 7 22 50
5 109 86 98 6 0 33 0.00 0.0 0 5.0 15 270 M M 3 24 360
6 111 87 99 6 0 34 0.00 0.0 0 4.3 12 270 M M 2 18 190
7 114 89 102 9 0 37 0.00 0.0 0 5.8 15 260 M M 2 21 240
8 114 91 103 10 0 38 0.00 0.0 0 6.6 20 230 M M 3 26 230

https://i.imgur.com/wO4hi8u.png?1

I lived in El Paso when I was stationed at Bliss until 2010. I lived in that new community on the east side off of Edgemere right on the edge of the desert right next to where that new high school is. The actual town is kind of nasty but I miss the desert. I had a CRF450R dirt bike and I'd ride out of my garage into the ultimate playground. If I still lived there I'd probably run tubeless tires on my road bike, the desert blows so much junk on to the roads I'd puncture constantly. I loved riding up highway 62, that's the only place I've lived that had good climbs. Transmountain was cool also.

This is when it snowed in 2009.

https://i.postimg.cc/15wjWhCd/2009-12215000002.jpg

Son was stationed at Ft. Bliss until retirement last year after 24yrs ARMY. I would fly in from SW FL to watch the 2 grandsons when ARMY sent son "wherever." Biking was wonderful from off of Fred Wilson then up and down Trans Mtn., McKelligon Canyon Rd. repeats, Scenic Dr. to Trans. Mtn. back to housing or just continue up to Ohara Rd.(404) then back to housing. The snow and stone walls brings back memories.

FWIW: It was 130F in Death Valley on Friday afternoon. Current temp (5PM on Sunday July 11) is 127F. Humidity both days has been below 10%, and the low temps have been above 100F. This is a link to the 3-day weather report on the NOAA's weather.gov link:

VISITORS CENTER AT FURNACE CREEK DEATH VALLEY (noaa.gov)

One of my favorite national parks, but go there in the fall or spring for the best temps and scenery (winter can bring on below-freezing temps).

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record event report
national weather service las vegas, nv
125 am pdt sun jul 10 2021

...record hot temperatures for july 10...

A record high temperature of 117 degrees was set at las vegas nv
saturday. This broke the previous record of 114, which was set in
1943 and tied in 2003 and 2012. This also tied the all time hottest
temperature recorded at the official observing site in las vegas.
The record was originally set july 24, 1942, and was tied on july
19, 2005, june 30, 2013, and june 20, 2017. A record warmest low
temperature of 94 degrees was also set at las vegas. This broke the
old record of 89, which was set in 2002. Temperature records for las
vegas date back to 1937.

There, fixed it for ya. In June, farmers here were complaining that lack of rain was going to cause their crops to fail. Now I see sections of their fields underwater.

What used to be anomalous heat events is becoming more commonplace.

The PNW heat event used to be a 1 in 100,000 year event. With the warming of the past few decades, it is now a 1 in 1,000 year event.

In a couple more decades, it will be a 1 in 10 year event.

Yes it’s scary how this is ramping up. Unfortunately I just don’t see things changing quickly enough to avert the obvious issues. Too much conflicting politics, complacency and resistance to change.

Furnace Creek (Calif, in Death Valley) hit 130.0 degrees fahrenheit a bit ago, the all-time high recorded temperature on planet Earth, apparently. They're only expected to get to 119 degrees today.

There are cycling, even running, races that cross that valley. Can't imagine it, on the "wrong" day. No way to cool down, no way to find shade, no way to carry enough fluids. Bummer of a spot for a flat tire.

I've done the Death Valley Century that starts in Furnace Creek... it was in March so not as hot, but the wind was KILLER.
Also, shortest route sheet I've ever seen. Also, I can't believe that was almost 20 years ago... I didn't even have a blog yet.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...263c4689b2.jpg

The desert winds in winter and spring can be killer. They usually are lesser in the fall, and the temperatures aren't at their peak.

The thought of doing Badwater to Mt Whitney Portal (135 miles, 15,252 feet) is in the back of my mind. Maybe some day. Or maybe not.

It's those high nighttime lows that bother me the most.

I'm the opposite. I love riding in rain, as long as it's not a thunderstorm with lightening and the harsh wind. But I don't go out if it's over 100 degrees any more.