Denver is still waiting for its first 90-degree day of the season after Monday's high at Denver International Airport – the weather station of record for Denver – fell short of the forecast.
With an 87-degree Monday at DIA, the stretch of days without 90-degree temps reached 273 and counting. With no near-90-degree temps in the forecast until next week, Denver will flirt with the record books when it comes to latest first 90-degree day of the year.
The city’s average first 90-degree day is June 10.
In 2022, the first 90-degree day of the year fell on May 11 and Denver had seen 10 such days by June 19 ahead of what ended up being an abnormally hot summer.
Here are some dates for the latest "1st" 90 Degree Day at Denver based on official records going back to 1872. #cowx pic.twitter.com/PAjhDn8KxO
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) June 20, 2023
While we fell short of 90 on Monday, it was rather remarkably the first 80-degree day of June. Denver hadn't had less than two 80-degree days between June 1-June 17 since 1967.
Monday was also the second day of a dry spell, following near record-setting moisture of late. The six-week span from May 1 through June 16 was the city’s second-wettest all-time and the wettest in 147 years.
Denver saw 8.87 inches of rainfall over that stretch, the most since 9.17 inches fell from May 1-June 16, 1876 – just before Colorado was granted statehood.
2nd Wettest Period for Denver, from May 1st to June 16th, since records began in 1872. #cowx pic.twitter.com/NQ8F4sziE4
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) June 18, 2023
Parts of the Palmer Divide saw more than 15 inches of rain in that span, including over 19 inches at a weather station in Fondis, which is southeast of Kiowa in Elbert County.
Rain returns Wednesday, with the best chances for precipitation coming Wednesday evening and into the night, according to the NWS forecast discussion.
