Death Valley springing forth with wildflowers

As any experienced bloom chaser will tell you, it takes more than one storm system -- even a soaker of record proportions -- to grow wildflowers in the hottest, driest place in North America.

Experts at Death Valley National Park are predicting only a moderate bloom this year, despite the storm front that delivered almost a year's worth of rain to the park's Furnace Creek weather station several weeks ago.

"It definitely won't be a big bloom," said Park Ranger and Naturalist Charlie Callagan. "It could be OK, but it won't be great."

The problem is the almost complete lack of precipitation that fell before those storms, according to Callagan.

A good crop of wildflowers like the once-in-a-lifetime bloom that colored Death Valley and the desert around Las Vegas in 2005 requires rain in both the fall and winter.

And not just any precipitation will do. The plants need good, soaking rains, but not so much that it washes the seeds away in a flood.

Before the inch and a half of rain that recently fell on Furnace Creek, the park's official weather station had logged less than one-tenth of an inch since July 1, and Callagan said most of the rest of the park also has been "very dry."

The floor of Death Valley, about 130 miles west of Las Vegas, averages slightly less than 2 inches of rain a year.

The storms, particularly on Jan. 21, caused road closures and minor flooding across the park, though all of the major roads in Death Valley have reopened.

The rain was especially heavy around some higher-elevation spots such as Scotty's Castle, which already has received almost 3 inches of rain in 2010.

Callagan said this year's bloom probably will be best near the castlelike mansion built in the 1930s and in the southern part of the park, both of which logged some precipitation last year.

Callagan said he actually got rained on during a camping trip last fall at the south end of Death Valley.

"It's a good thing I brought a tent," he said.

He usually doesn't bother because he so rarely needs a tent there.

Death Valley's wildflower forecast is subject to change though. Callagan said so long as the current El Niño climate phenomenon produces more rain in the park, the area could wind up with a respectable -- albeit late -- bloom.

If that happens, Callagan said he would expect the show to start in late March or early April and fade quickly as temperatures begin their steady march into the triple digits.

The National Park Service provides periodic wildflower reports on Death Valley's Web site.

"Every time it rains, every time conditions change, we'll update it," Callagan said.

A big bloom like 2008 or the record one in 2005 can mean big business to the park and surrounding communities.

A small but dedicated group of people try to "chase" any spring wildflower bloom as it spreads through the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. Large crops tend to draw tourists in much greater numbers.

But visitors need not wait until spring to see something striking and unusual in Death Valley, Callagan said.

The recent storms left the mountains ringing the valley with a dusting of snow that extends down as low as 4,000 feet.

"It's beautiful," he said.

Contact reporter Henry Brean at hbrean @reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350.