Denver broke its June record for the number of 90-degree days Thursday when the mercury topped 90 degrees at the airport – hitting 92 – for an 18th day.
A 19th day is likely, as forecasters are calling for temperatures to reach the mid-90s today.
The old record of 17 days with temperatures in the 90s was set during the 2002 drought.
Frank Benton, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Boulder, said that this month, with an average temperature of 72.5 so far, looks to register in the top five hottest Junes on record in Denver. The hottest June on record was in 1994, when the average temperature – derived from daily high and low temperatures – was 73.5.
Like Denver, the rest of the state is experiencing hot, dry conditions reminiscent of 2002.
“The heat and wind has dried up the snowpack, and the rain we’ve needed this spring didn’t come,” said state Agriculture Commissioner Don Ament. “The record-breaking heat is drying up fields at a time when irrigation water is already below average levels.”
The state’s reservoirs, however, are in good shape as a result of heavy snowfall last year and conservation efforts.
By the numbers
18
Number of 90-degree days in June so far
72.5
Average temperature for the month so far
