Biking to work yesterday I found myself grateful for a mere 80-something degrees and 78 percent humidity -- a sure sign we've been going through something together, Denver. Never before have I actively basked in the relative chill of a climate I associate more with a summer I spent as a radio station intern on the Gulf Coast of Florida than with most of my life on the high plains. Such is life after a brutal week or two in the high 90s.
But! The shift (and the rain) shook loose the memories of a bunch of things worth revisiting immediately post-heat-wave.
Stuff to know about heat in Denver generally
Denver is hotter than surrounding areas. Like 5 degrees hotter.
Data mapped by the city show that Denver is hotter in places where people are less likely to be white and more likely to earn less than people living in other neighborhoods. We explored that data.
When it was cold, our colleague wanted to know if landlords have to keep it comfortable inside. The answer for when it's hot is ... no.
Is this just how it is now? And other questions about heat in Denver, answered by a meteorologist.
One time, a Denverite reporter, who was not originally from here, marveled at how to beat the heat sometimes you put on more clothes.
More recently a Denverite reporter who is not originally from here noticed that at least our summers aren't buggy.
Things that are a little more alarming now than before
Last year was the first year of Denver Public Schools' new schedule -- starting a week later than it had traditionally because some schools still don't have adequate air conditioning -- and some schools still were so hot that they sent kids home in September.
Hey remember last year, when we didn't have snow until December?
Denver Botanic Garden scientists are keeping tabs on how climate will change Colorado's flora.
More air conditioning in Denver is making the world hotter, but it's not our biggest problem.
Hot things we've checked in on lately
Over 40% of the city's water fountains aren't working -- and some aren't coming back any time soon.
Construction workers account for more than a third of all workplace heat-related injuries in the U.S. -- we checked in with people working on I-70 to see how they're doing and how much water they're drinking (a lot).
Ways people cool off
Public-access swimming, kayaking and fishing in Denver bodies of water: a list!
Swimming in the South Platte: Not a great idea!
These Denver Parks and Rec pools aren't opening this summer. (But the Congress Park pool will open after all.)
We hung out inside Little Man Ice Cream on the Fourth of July.
