Break out the shorts and sandals, Denver. It already feels like summer.
Thermometers hit a on Thursday, marking the hottest March day since forecasters started keeping records in 1872.
The temperature peaked at 3:41 p.m. before dropping slightly to 84 degrees, also breaking the daily record high for March 19, according to the National Weather Service.
The last monthly record high was 84 degrees and was set 55 years ago on March 26, 1971, according to the agency. The last was 81 degrees and was set 119 years ago, in 1907.
Thursday is the first of three days of record-breaking heat forecast for Colorado, with some areas in the northern state and Eastern Plains expected to hit 90 degrees by Saturday, forecasters said.
The anticipated Colorado heat records are several of dozen expected across the western U.S., .
“Human-caused climate change is making this heat more likely and will also accelerate snowmelt, during a year already marked by widespread snow drought across the region,” the climate alert stated.
for Friday, March 20:
- 73 degrees in Estes Park, breaking the 66-degree daily record and the 70-degree March heat record
- 83 degrees in Boulder, breaking the 80-degree record
- 84 degrees in Denver, breaking the 80-degree record
- 86 degrees at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, breaking the 80-degree daily record and the 81-degree March heat record
- 86 degrees in Fort Morgan, breaking the 85-degree daily record and the 85-degree March heat record
- 87 degrees at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, breaking the 82-degree daily record and the 85-degree March heat record
for Saturday, March 21:
- 74-degrees in Estes Park, breaking the 68-degree daily record and the 70-degree March heat record
- 87 degrees in Denver, breaking the 78-degree daily record and the 84-degree March heat record
- 87 degrees in Boulder, breaking the 83-degree daily record and the 83-degree March heat record
- 88 degrees at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, breaking the 79-degree daily record and the 81-degree March heat record
- 90 degrees in Fort Morgan, breaking the 84-degree daily record and the 85-degree March heat record
- 90 degrees at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, breaking the 82-degree daily record and the 85-degree March heat record
