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Mercury, Nevada

Coordinates: 36°39′36″N 115°59′35″W / 36.66000°N 115.99306°W / 36.66000; -115.99306
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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by SounderBruce (talk | contribs) at 02:52, 29 September 2022 (→Climate: MOS:DASH, replaced: -present → –present, -2020 normals → –2020 normals). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For the "Mercury-Lincoln Mine" which was one of the "cities" where a Zone Commander was stationed for nuclear testing, see Operation Teapot.
Mercury
Village
Mercury is located in Nevada
Mercury
Mercury
Location within the state of Nevada
Coordinates: 36°39′36″N 115°59′35″W / 36.66000°N 115.99306°W / 36.66000; -115.99306
CountryUnited States
StateNevada
CountyNye
Founded1950; 74 years ago (1950)
Named forMercury
Elevation
[1]
3,789 ft (1,155 m)
Time zoneUTC-8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP codes
89023[2]
GNIS feature ID845560[1]

Mercury is a closed village in Nye County, Nevada, United States,[3] 5 miles (8.0 km) north of U.S. Route 95 at a point 65 miles (105 km) northwest of Las Vegas. It is situated within the Nevada National Security Site and was constructed by the Atomic Energy Commission to house and service the staff of the test site. The specific site was known as Jackass Flats[2] and nearby Nevada Test Site 400.[4] Today, the site is governed by the United States Department of Energy. As part of the test site, the village is not accessible to the general public. It was named after the mercury mines which flourished in its general vicinity a century before the village itself was established. The current population is unknown.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Mercury has a cold desert climate, abbreviated "BWk" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Mercury was 114 °F (46 °C) on July 11, 2021, while the coldest temperature recorded was 6 °F (−14 °C) on December 22, 1990.[5]

Climate data for Mercury, Nevada (Desert Rock Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1978–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 77
(25) 		83
(28) 		87
(31) 		96
(36) 		106
(41) 		113
(45) 		114
(46) 		112
(44) 		110
(43) 		100
(38) 		85
(29) 		74
(23) 		114
(46)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 68.0
(20.0) 		71.5
(21.9) 		80.0
(26.7) 		88.7
(31.5) 		96.9
(36.1) 		105.3
(40.7) 		108.9
(42.7) 		106.1
(41.2) 		100.8
(38.2) 		90.7
(32.6) 		77.8
(25.4) 		67.3
(19.6) 		109.8
(43.2)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 56.6
(13.7) 		59.9
(15.5) 		67.4
(19.7) 		74.2
(23.4) 		83.8
(28.8) 		94.7
(34.8) 		100.7
(38.2) 		98.8
(37.1) 		91.1
(32.8) 		78.1
(25.6) 		64.6
(18.1) 		55.0
(12.8) 		77.1
(25.0)
Daily mean °F (°C) 45.0
(7.2) 		47.9
(8.8) 		54.1
(12.3) 		60.3
(15.7) 		69.5
(20.8) 		79.6
(26.4) 		86.0
(30.0) 		84.3
(29.1) 		76.3
(24.6) 		64.0
(17.8) 		51.6
(10.9) 		43.6
(6.4) 		63.5
(17.5)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 33.4
(0.8) 		35.8
(2.1) 		40.9
(4.9) 		46.5
(8.1) 		55.2
(12.9) 		64.4
(18.0) 		71.3
(21.8) 		69.7
(20.9) 		61.5
(16.4) 		49.9
(9.9) 		38.5
(3.6) 		32.2
(0.1) 		49.9
(10.0)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 23.0
(−5.0) 		26.0
(−3.3) 		30.0
(−1.1) 		35.1
(1.7) 		42.7
(5.9) 		52.3
(11.3) 		62.4
(16.9) 		60.1
(15.6) 		50.6
(10.3) 		38.4
(3.6) 		26.8
(−2.9) 		22.3
(−5.4) 		20.0
(−6.7)
Record low °F (°C) 13
(−11) 		11
(−12) 		23
(−5) 		23
(−5) 		33
(1) 		40
(4) 		51
(11) 		52
(11) 		39
(4) 		28
(−2) 		19
(−7) 		6
(−14) 		6
(−14)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.68
(17) 		0.94
(24) 		0.58
(15) 		0.36
(9.1) 		0.18
(4.6) 		0.12
(3.0) 		0.32
(8.1) 		0.39
(9.9) 		0.38
(9.7) 		0.37
(9.4) 		0.27
(6.9) 		0.63
(16) 		5.22
(132.7)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.3
(0.76) 		0.2
(0.51) 		0.2
(0.51) 		0.1
(0.25) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.2
(0.51) 		1.0
(2.5)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 4.2 4.5 3.6 2.6 2.1 0.9 2.1 1.6 1.7 2.1 2.2 3.2 30.8
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 1.3
Source 1: NOAA [6]
Source 2: National Weather Service [5]

History

The village started in 1950 at the beginning of operations of the Nevada Test Site as Base Camp Mercury, a military-style encampment built to provide basic facilities for personnel involved. As the scope of the testing program expanded, so did the number of personnel required to fulfill the site's mission, and beginning in 1951 a $6.7 million construction project was undertaken to provide adequate individual housing, office, and service structures with a civilian village-like design. With the acquisition of a full-service post office in the mid-1950s, Base Camp Mercury was formally renamed Mercury, Nevada.

In 1957, the US Navy launched nine atmospheric sounding rockets to measure nuclear radiation and other atmospheric data, using Mercury as a staging area. The Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory conducted its first test flight in 1956. This test rocket lifted 13.6 kilograms (30 lb) to an altitude of 40 kilometres (25 mi).[7]

Map showing Mercury and nearby Desert Rock airfield

In the early 1960s the village population grew to over 10,000, and further construction work was undertaken to upgrade the permanence of the village. A school was established, and numerous recreational and shopping facilities were added, including a movie theater, bowling alley, recreation hall, swimming pool, and hobby center, as well as a full-care health clinic, library, lodging (the Atomic Motel being the most prominent example), a non-denominational chapel with a cadre of chaplains, a service station with a garage, and a bus station. In 1962, the Desert Rock Airport was added for the visit from President John F. Kennedy on December 8.[8]

The village flourished until 1992, when all but subcritical nuclear testing ended at the Nevada Test Site, as a result of the United States honoring the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (even though the U.S. has not yet ratified the treaty). The population shrank rapidly thereafter, leaving most of the facilities abandoned. A skeleton crew of scientists and military remains in Mercury, conducting limited testing and research. Most of the amenities have closed, and the village is now a shell of its former self, although dining, bar facilities, and a gym remain. The current population is unknown and fluctuates. The last known census recorded about 500 people.[citation needed]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Mercury Populated Place Profile / Nye County, Nevada Data". nevada.hometownlocator.com. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  2. ^ a b "89023 ZIP Code Map, Demographics & Rankings". nevada.hometownlocator.com. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  3. ^ "Mercury, Nevada". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  4. ^ "HometownLocator: Mercury Test Site 400". Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  5. ^ a b "NOAA Online Weather Data". National Weather Service. Retrieved on September 7, 2022
  6. ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved on September 7, 2022.
  7. ^ "Astronautix.com: Mercury Test Site". Archived from the original on 5 August 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  8. ^ Dept of Energy: Legacy of Nevada Test Site Report, p.84 Archived 2010-08-30 at the Wayback Machine
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