If this summer has felt extra hot this year, you’re on to something.
While the season isn’t technically over yet, the city has already recorded the second hottest summer on record from June through August.
Denver’s hottest year on record was in 2012. But after that comes 2024, 2020, 2022 and 2021. That means four of the five hottest summers on record took place in the past five years.
This past August was especially hot. Denver usually sees an average of 14 days above 90 degrees throughout the month. This year, Denver had 19 days in the 90s. The city was also drier than usual.
That’s on par with global trends as climate change causes hotter and hotter weather. Europe saw its hottest summer on record this year, according to the New York Times, and 2023 as a whole was the hottest year on record globally.
“We were definitely warmer this summer than last year and above normal for the summer,” said Kenley Bonner, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
What does continued heat mean for Denver?
A group of city officials met last month for an entire heat summit to ask that question. Experts talked about heat mitigation options like public fountains and heat pumps, as well as renter protections for increased heat.
We’ve already begun to see the effects of heat on a city not built for extreme weather. In July, we spent time with an HVAC tech who’s busier than ever these days. And at RTD stops during a heat wave, we chatted with passengers who were waiting long stretches in the heat for delayed light rail.
We also wrote about Denverites stuck paying high rents in poorly maintained apartment buildings not built for hot weather. One renter with a disability struggled when elevators broke in his eight-story building for days during a July heatwave this summer.
But now that it’s September, is it actually cooling down?
This past week has seen lows drop into the 50s, a welcome respite from the long string of 80s and 90s we’ve been seeing.
But is cooler weather here to stay, or are we getting faked out by a taste of fall?
The next few days will see highs staying in the 80s. It’s possible that the weather could continue to get cooler, but Bonner wouldn’t make any promises.
“There's definitely a chance for [temperatures in the 90s,]” she said. “I'm not going to say that there's not, but the models, they don't do a great job past like five days out.”
How’d you cope with the heat this summer? How are you preparing for the next one? Drop us a line at [email protected].
