When I moved to the upper Mojave a few years ago from Vermont, I knew that the rainfall was but a fraction of that in New England. For some reason - and I suspect most others new to the area are the same - I thought it didn't rain at all in Death Valley, or if it did, it was a rare event. In reality, the large area known collectively as "Death Valley" is only a few valleys to the east. Of course, now that I live here I realize that's not the case at all, and that while it doesn't rain quite as much as in the Indian Wells Valley where I live - it certainly does rain there. The Panamints are frequently shrouded in clouds during the winter, acting like the sponges that mountains are in wringing moisture from passing air masses.
I also found that the name "Death Valley" might be a lure for the tourists, but in reality - the area is anything but dead.
