The simple answer is, duh … we live in a desert. There’s more to the crazy El Paso heat than that though. Since you’re probably not a mega – geek, I went and found all the answers for you.<\/p>\n
READ MORE:\u00a0Heat Safety Tips For Summer In El Paso<\/a><\/p>\n Deserts, believe it or not, aren’t exactly defined by uber – high temps. The largest desert on Earth is actually Antarctica, where the thermometer can dip all the way to 75 degrees below zero. That’s freakin’ cold.<\/p>\n Temperature is not at all the deciding factor on what is and is not a desert. It’s really all about moisture … or, the lack thereof … that determines it.<\/p>\n What Is A Desert?<\/p>\n Climate scientists\u00a0like me<\/a>\u00a0define a desert not by temperature but by how much\u00a0precipitation<\/a>\u00a0it gets \u2013 any form of water falling from the sky, whether rain, snow or hail. If an area receives less than 10 inches (250 millimeters) of precipitation a year,\u00a0it is officially a desert<\/a>. – theconversation<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0Why Deserts Stay So Dry<\/p>\n Like selling real estate, location is everything. Almost every desert in the world falls within a “belt” that circles the Earth. It takes up an area about 30 degrees above and below the equator.<\/p>\n That’s where Earth gets the most sunlight so, go figure, the most hot air is rising within that belt. Hot air doesn’t keep rising though …<\/p>\n Why Deserts Get So Hot<\/p>\n All that hot air sinks before it can generate any clouds and the clouds are kind of a barrier between us and Mr. Sun. With fewer of them in that band, the areas below take a more direct hit from the sun.<\/p>\n