Thermometers in Denver officially hit triple digits Wednesday, earlier in the year than ever before.
A high of 102 degrees was reported at Denver International Airport. That’s a high for the date and the earliest that official temperatures hit 100 degrees since records began in 1872, according to the National Weather Service.
The earliest century mark previous to Wednesday was June 23, 1954, when the high was 102 degrees. Only seven days have ever been recorded in the month of June when temperatures reached 100 degrees.
The Denver area is expected to receive a break today from the recent heat wave.
“We are on track for the warmest June in Denver history,” said Kyle Fredin, a meteorologist at the Denver/Boulder forecast office of the Weather Service. “We should, however, get a little bit of a cool-down starting today.”
Fredin said temperatures this month have been close to 10 degrees above normal on average.
Wednesday marked the fifth day of record high temperatures in June for Denver, according to the Weather Service.
Workers forced to labor outdoors Wednesday were careful to take extra precautions.
“On the construction site, it is a matter of lots of water and working alternative hours,” said George Gibson, president and chief executive of Compass Construction Services of Parker. “It is just extra hot now.”
Gibson said that his employees have been starting work earlier in the morning, taking longer lunch breaks and returning to work into the evening to avoid the peak temperatures. Workers have also sprayed rooftops with water and put water-soaked towels on their heads while attempting to stay cool.
Pet owners are also being encouraged to take extra precautions for the heat.
“There are so many things pet owners fail to consider when the temperatures heat up,” said Mary Warren, director of the Colorado Humane Society. “Right now, when you put a dog in a car, it can bake in 20 minutes.”
Dog owners are also warned against walking their dogs between noon and 3 p.m. and to never tie their animals up outside.
Cat owners can help keep their animals cool by providing them an area that has plenty of ventilation and access to a bathtub or tile.
“Remember that if you can’t take the heat, neither can your animal,” Warren said.
Staff writer JP Eichmiller can be reached at 303-820-1201 or jeichmiller@denverpost.com.
