DENVER -- Denver has now had 29 days with temperatures either at or above 90 degrees. Two of those were triple-digit days in late June.
The high soared to 98 degrees in Denver Tuesday afternoon, shy of the record of 102 degrees in 2016, but well above the normal high of 89 degrees.
Sunny, but hazy skies covered the eastern plains with temperatures in the high 90s to low 100s, while mountain highs reached the low to mid-80s. Widely scattered thunderstorms developed in the mountains, but they actually moved toward the west! The winds aloft are very lightly blowing from east to west, unusual for Colorado, but it makes the storms seem to move "backwards"!
The weather forecast will not change much through Wednesday - hot & dry for the plains, afternoon storms for the mountains. Highs will reach the middle 90s in Denver and across northeast Colorado. In the mountains, temperatures on Wednesday will be in the upper 70s to low 80s.
There will be a better chance of afternoon storms across the plains on Thursday and Friday. The winds aloft will shift and blow into the central Rockies from the southwest. This will help to bring tropical moisture into Colorado and provide a better chance for showers and thunderstorms to the mountains and the plains. Locally heavy rain will be possible on in the mountains Thursday.
Temperatures will not be as hot for the end of the week with highs expected to stay in the upper 80s in Denver for Friday and Saturday. Some heavier rainfall is likely for the mountains, helping firefighters, but also increasing the risk of mud and debris slides over the various burn scars.