While the temperatures were toasty for May, today’s heat missed the record for the date by six degrees.
“Tomorrow has a better chance to set a record,” said Frank Cooper, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service office in Boulder.
The record for May 18 was set in 1996 at 93 degrees, but temperatures this afternoon topped out at 87 degrees at Denver International Airport.
The record for May 19 is 89 degrees, set in 1991. The forecast high for tomorrow is 90 degrees.
The average temperatures for today and Tuesday are 71 degrees and 73 degrees, respectively.
A cold front, packing moisture is on its way to the state and should increase the chance of thunderstorms and showers when it arrives Wednesday night.
The front should push daytime highs in Denver into the 60s on Thursday and Friday, the weather service said. The chances of rain increase as the weekend approaches, according to the forecast.
Temperatures were in the 70s and 80s across the high country today, pushing snowmelt into overdrive and creating the dangers of flooding and swift rivers on the Western Slope.
Flood advisories remain in effect for several rivers, including portions of the Colorado, Crystal, Eagle, Elk and Yampa.
Rivers flowing beyond their banks could cause minor flooding in low-lying areas, the weather service warned. Those crossing rivers or rafting should use caution because just 2 feet of fast-flowing water is capable of sweeping away a car, forecasters said.
