DENVER — Temperatures soared to 100 degrees in Denver yesterday afternoon and that's about 20 degrees above normal for mid-June. It also blew away the old record of 97 degrees, set on June 15, 1993. A high of 100 in Denver again today breaking the previous record of 96 degrees (in 2020), so this heatwave will be one for the record books.
It's actually also very rare to see two consecutive triple-digit days. In fact, it has only happened 13 times since the late 1800s. (now 14 times counting today)
Smoke and haze from western wildfires is entering Colorado and will create colorful sunrises and sunsets over the next few days, but will also limited visibility. An Ozone Alert is also in effect along the Front Range. Low level ozone is a lung irritant, those with heart or respiratory issues should limit physical activity outdoors.
It will still be hot on Thursday, with highs in the upper 90s but there will be a slightly better chance of storms and cloud cover in the afternoon. By the end of the week and over the weekend, cooler weather and a better chance for thunderstorms can be expected.
It is a good thing our spring has been so wet over the eastern half of the state — drought conditions have pretty much ended for now. Western Colorado has not been as lucky and remains very dry. We are expecting dangerous fire conditions for western Colorado this week.
At the Denver International Airport, the total precipitation since Jan. 1 is about 10.5 inches — and that's a little over 4 inches above normal for the year to date.
The latest index shows drought-free conditions from Denver to Cheyenne and across northeast Colorado. Southeastern Colorado has also improved with nearly drought-free conditions around Pueblo. Western and central Colorado still need a lot of moisture to break free of the drought.
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