Denver’s heat wave spiked to a record 102 degrees Saturday, breaking the record for July 17 set in 1971.
It was the first time Denver hit 100 degrees since Aug. 2, 2008, and the 69th day of 100 or more degrees in Denver since record keeping began in 1872.
The heat foiled the plans of Jody Wise, 45, and Don Roper, 52, who said they walked along the river from Westminster to downtown Denver hoping they’d get to see women in skimpy outfits.
The women stayed home, out of the heat, and late in the afternoon, Wise and Roper were catching a bus home.
“It’s just too hot,” said Wise. “It’s too hot for skin.”
At 3:46 p.m., the official temperature at Denver International Airport hit 102 degrees. It began to cool later in the afternoon but didn’t dip below 100 until well after 5 p.m.
Jorge Ramirez, 20, and his four friends who came from Mexico as tourists to see the Colorado sights, brushed off the heat. Late in the afternoon, they played whiffle ball at Civic Center with a plastic bat, running across the green grass.
“It gets hotter in Mexico,” said Ramirez, who said they planned to head to Vail in a few days.
In the Denver metro area, authorities issued an ozone action day alert through 4 p.m. today for the Front Range from El Paso County north to Larimer and Weld counties, including the Denver and Boulder areas and Colorado Springs.
The alert was issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Regional Air Quality Council.
The alert recommends that those sensitive to ozone problems limit outdoor exertion across the Front Range and the Denver metro area.
The National Weather Service Heat Safety tips remind people never to leave children unattended in a parked car, even with the windows rolled down.
In the first 10 minutes, the temperature in a parked car can go up nearly 20 degrees.
The high temperatures inside parked cars also can be dangerous for pets and adults, the guide states.
The National Weather Service expects highs in the mid- 90s for each day this week with lows in the mid-60s.
For Justin Montoya and his crew of about six men, the heat was just part of the job as they spent all day refurbishing pavers along the 16th Street Mall.
“Sure, it’s getting pretty nasty, but the summer is hot, and we get used to it,” said Montoya.
Christopher N. Osher: 303-954-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com
