Death Valley is the lowest point in North America, also making it one of the hottest- with temperatures such as 127 degrees F. Sitting 282 feet below sea level, the Bad Water Basin (pictured below) appears to leave snow on the ground. This, as a matter of fact, is not snow, but salt! The salt occurs because rain and minerals dissolve to this lower elevation and accumulate. The water, however, cannot sustain and evaporates to create this salty layer. One glaring question that comes to my mind is how long does the salt exist on the ground? Does it blow away with wind or is it forever accumulating on the ground? Does winter have any effect on the Bad Water Basin?