Denver records second hottest summer in history
DENVER (KDVR) — It is officially fall, well meteorological fall, and in the coming weeks, temperatures should begin to cool as the leaves start to turn shades of orange and yellow before ultimately leaving behind barren trees.
Now that summer has come and gone, the National Weather Service is looking at just how out the past few months were.
View the latest Weather Alerts in Denver and across Colorado on FOX31
NWS measures the summer months from June through August, and 2024 was the second hottest summer on record in Denver. Summer 2024 had an average temperature of 75 degrees. Normally, an average summer is around 72 degrees.
Three summers since 2020 have made the top 10 warmest on record. Summer 2020 is third on the list, while 2022 and 2021 are fourth and fifth, respectively. The hottest summer ever recorded was in 2012 when Denver had an average temperature of 76.3 degrees, according to NWS.
A record-breaking summer
Looking back, this summer was definitely toasty. With several 100-degree days and two months making the top five warmest in history, it’s not a surprise this was one of the hottest summers on record.
Summer 2024 saw triple-digit heat six times. This is fairly uncommon as Denver doesn’t always hit 100 degrees each summer. Those six days helped Denver land the third spot for the most 100-degree days in a year.
Aside from the handful of days that exceed triple digits, two of the three summer months were among the top five warmest, as well.
Colorado fall colors forecast 2024: When and where to see peak colors
The summer kicked off with the second-warmest June on record. According to NWS, this past June had an average temperature of 73.8 degrees, just shy of the number one spot set in 2012 with an average temperature of 75 degrees.
August was also hot — in fact, it was the fifth hottest August on record. NWS said August had an average temperature of 75.6 degrees.
The middle of summer was hot, but July didn’t break any monthly records. According to NWS records, the average temperature in Denver for July is 75 degrees. This year, the average totaled 75.7 degrees. In short, Denver was right on average.
While it might’ve felt sweltering in July, Pinpoint Weather Meteorologist Travis Michels said this is because July is always hot in Denver. After all, the historically hottest temperatures of the year for the Mile High City land right in the middle of July.
If you are getting sick of all this talk about the heat, you still have a few weeks before temperatures finally begin to cool down.
According to Michels, temperatures won’t be cool until October. But, he said temperatures will begin to drop to the mid-70s by the middle of September. If you need a quick cooldown, the mountains will get chilly at night in the coming weeks.
Denver, Colorado weather resources
Stay prepared for storms and forecast changes, a Pinpoint Weather Alert Day and other important weather information:
The Pinpoint Weather team will continue to update the forecast multiple times each day.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
Solve the daily Crossword
