Excessive Heat — Joshua Tree Np East, California

2020-09-04 to 2020-09-07 · Joshua Tree Np East, California

Event narrative

An excessive heat event occurred over Labor Day weekend. Afternoon temperatures reached up to 115-122 degrees across the area and morning lows only fell to around 80 degrees. The hottest day of the entire 2020 heat season occurred on the 5th. In Joshua Tree National Park, three individuals set out on a hike around noon on the 5th in the Turkey Flats area. One of the hikers, a 20 year old male, became unconscious and one of the others called authorities for immediate aid at 1900 PDT. Temperatures were still over 100 degrees well into the evening. Park authorities located the hikers around 2330 PDT and administered CPR to the unconscious hiker, but were unable to revive him. The hiker was later pronounced dead at around 0900 PDT on the 6th with the cause of death being heat-caused. The other two hikers were successfully rescued.

Wider weather episode

During early September, from the 4th through the 7th, southeast California experienced some of its hottest temperatures of the prolific 2020 heat season. This excessive heat episode lined up with the Labor Day holiday weekend. Temperatures through the weekend reached up to 115-122 degrees across the region with the hottest day occurring on the 5th. A young individual succumbed to the heat and passed away after setting out on a hike in Joshua Tree National Park during the afternoon of the 5th.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 932331. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.