California had a day of extreme temperature contrasts Sunday, recording both the hottest and coldest temperatures reported in the United States.
The National Weather Service's preliminary temperature reports
showed Death Valley reached 113 degrees, making it the nation's hottest location Sunday, Sept. 13. Meanwhile, the coldest temperature in the country was recorded 8 miles east of McCloud in Siskiyou County, where temperatures dropped to 26 degrees.
The nearly 90-degree difference between the two locations highlights the dramatic range of California's climate, from the scorching desert of Death Valley to the cooler mountainous terrain near McCloud in Northern California.
Death Valley is well known for its extreme heat. The desert valley, which sits below sea level, routinely experiences some of the nation's highest temperatures. McCloud, meanwhile, sits in Northern California near Mount Shasta, where higher elevations can bring much cooler temperatures, particularly overnight.
California's weather could get more active
California's temperature extremes come as a strengthening El Niño takes shape in the Pacific.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Sept. 10 that El Niño has strengthened and there is a greater than 90% chance of a very strong event during the fall and winter of 2026-27. NOAA said there is also a 75% chance that the October-December period will feature an El Niño event strong enough to rank among the strongest on record since 1950.
El Niño can shift the jet stream and influence precipitation patterns across California and the rest of the West.
This winter, that means more rain across California and more snow in the state's mountains, including significant snowfall in the Sierra Nevada. Strong El Niño events have historically brought wetter winters to California, making mountain snowpack one of the biggest weather stories to watch as the season unfolds.
Brandi D. Addison covers weather across the nation as the Weather Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network and contributes to Texas Connect coverage across the state. She can be reached at baddison@usatodayco.com. Follow her on Facebook here.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California had a nearly 90-degree temperature difference Sunday
