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In the low valley bottom, the desert sun heats the air. The valley steep mountain walls trap rising hot air and recirculates it down to the basin for further heating. This cycle leads to sizzling temperatures. Death valley is also the driest place in North America, with less than 5cm of rain a year on the valley floor. The surrounding mountains and the Sierra Nevada to the west capture moisture from passing storms before it reaches the valley, creating a "rain shadow". Only the occasional summer thunderstorm or the most powerful winter storm brings rain to the valley.