DENVER – Scorching hot temperatures, likely soaring into the triple digits, will settle across Denver and Colorado’s Front Range on Thursday and again Friday – potentially breaking a 45-year-old heat record in Denver.
Along with the heat wave, wildfire smoke could trigger health issues “increasing the likelihood of respiratory symptoms in sensitive individuals,” according to National Weather Service (NWS) forecasters in Boulder.
“It is a Denver7 Weather Action day as we have hazy skies with an air quality alert in effect for the Front Range, Colorado’s High Country and the Eastern Plains. Hazy conditions and very hot today,” said Denver7 meteorologist Stacey Donaldson. “Temperatures will soar into the triple digits with 100 degrees our expected high in Denver and up to 102° in Sterling on Thursday.”
You can check out cooling centers in the Denver area at this link.
The current high temperature record in Denver for today is 99 degrees which was set back in 1980. The Denver metro and Front Range communities are under a heat advisory until 7 p.m Thursday.
“Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on at-risk relatives and neighbors,” added the NWS.
- In the infographic below, you can toggle between tabs to check the heat forecast for different Colorado cities over the next several days.
The air quality alert is also in effect for the Front Range, including Denver, and through northern and northwestern Colorado on both Thursday and Friday for wildfire smoke.
“Smoke from large wildfires in Rio Blanco County is impacting a large area of Colorado. Periods of moderate to heavy smoke are possible throughout the advisory area on Thursday,” said the NWS. “If smoke is thick or becomes thick in your neighborhood you may want to remain indoors. This is especially true for those with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, the very young, and older adults. Consider limiting outdoor activity when moderate to heavy smoke is present. Consider relocating temporarily if smoke is present indoors and is making you ill. If visibility is less than 5 miles in smoke in your neighborhood, smoke has reached levels that are unhealthy.”
Check latest Colorado weather alerts at this link.
Coloradans will have to endure 2 more days of excessive heat before afternoon high temperatures will drop between 10 and 20 degrees as Donaldson said temps drop into the 80s.
“There is a cold front waiting in the wings headed this direction for the weekend – with a better chance for thunderstorms,” said Donaldson.
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As wildfires in Colorado have burned thousands of acres, conditions remain ripe for the potential spread of any fire as the NWS issued a red flag warning for a large portion of the High Country and Western Slope.The Front Range Mountains and Foothills go under the red flag warning from Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. where wind gusts up to 40 mph are possible.
On the Western Slope, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Grand Junction issued a red flag warning for both Thursday and Friday.
As for Denver, the weekend forecast calls for 89 degrees on Saturday with partly cloudy skies. On Sunday, the high temp in Denver will warm to around 84° with a few afternoon thunderstorms possible.
Temperatures remain seasonal to start the next week with afternoon high temps in Denver remaining in the upper 80s to low 90s.
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