This summer in metro Denver ranks as the second hottest on record, in line with global warming, according to the National Weather Service.
A hot, dry July extended through August. While much of northcentral and northeastern Colorado had above-normal rain in August, most of the metro Denver area received less than 1.5 inches. High temperatures reached 100 degrees on six days and topped 90 degrees on 57 days as of Tuesday, weather service records from June 1 through August 31st show.
Denver’s average summer temperature measured 75 degrees — which is 2.7 degrees above the norm, meteorologists said. Only the summer of 2012 measured hotter, with an average temperature of 76.3 degrees. The other three hottest summers occurred in 2020 (74.9 degrees), 2021 (74.6 degrees), and 2022 (74.8 degrees).
“Four of the top five are in the last five years, and number one was 12 years ago,” NWS meteorologist Paul Schlatter said. “We keep breaking temperature records globally. Same thing in Denver, especially in the summer. We’re matching what is happening on a global scale. Some parts of the world are warming faster than others. It is definitely hitting our summers.”
Metro Denver’s night temperatures generally cooled off with an average of 59.2 degrees this summer, records show.
The government’s drought index on Wednesday designated 40% of Colorado as “abnormally dry” with 8.5% of the state registering in drought.
