San Jose to Grand Canyon 16-day trip plan

[glc]

The hottest time of day in DV is 4pm, and July is the hottest month.

[Southwest Dave]

The weather as we know is unpredictable. Yes, it will be hot, but how hot and at what time of day it will be at it's hottest when you travel is a question that can't be answered now. I would enjoy your day, relax and at what ever time you reach Death valley continue your journey through. Some days there is very little diference in temps from 11am to 11pm. The coolest part of the day is when the sun has been down the longest and before it rises, in other words you won't normally find anywhere near the daily minimum temps unless you are travelling at 4am.

As said previously, relax and enjoy yourself, if you break down stay with the car and drink lots of water, it won't be long before someone comes through so do not wander. I would be surprised if you had to wait an hour, and you are more likely to break down with the demands on a vehicle in the heat and the 'hustle and bustle' of stop/start City traffic then you are taking a gentle cruise through Death valley.

[Midwest Michael]

Really, anytime in the late afternoon (3-5) is going to be the hottest time of the day. Simply put, the longer the sun has been out, the more the heat has been building up, and it doesn't really stop building until the sun starts going down. If you want the best odds of being there when then weather is most comfortable, you'd want to be there first thing in the morning.

That's not to say you can't go through in the afternoon, or that any time is "too hot," but what you are talking about will typically put you there during the hottest part of the day. That might not even be a horrible thing, because there is something to be said about just having the experience of being in that kind of heat.

Of course, if I'm reading your plan right, it now sounds like you are planning to drive Across Tioga Pass and all the way to Vegas this day? If that's true, your time in DV is going to be extremely limited anyway, so it shouldn't make much difference.