DENVER — Denver is on pace to finish this summer as the second-warmest in history, and it will likely be only the second summer to have an average temperature above 75 degrees.
That's mainly due to hot afternoon high temperatures. It has hit 100 degrees six times in Denver this summer, which is third most in history. And it has hit 90 degrees 53 times, which is on pace to finish with the fifth most ever.
But warm morning low temperatures are part of that formula.
The temperature in Denver has not dropped below 50 degrees a single time this summer. If it stays that way, this would only be the second time that’s ever happened. The other time was the summer of 1933.
Weather records are measured from June 1 through the end of August for the summer season.
The last time it dropped into the 40s in Denver was 89 days ago, on May 31. The longest streak with the temperature staying above 49 degrees is 109 days, also set in 1933. It would only have to stay 50 degrees or warmer until Sep. 17 to tie the record.
That might seem unlikely because September is famous for those cool Colorado mornings, and we’re already well past the average date for the first 40-degree temperature, which is on Aug. 17.
But according to the long-range forecast modeling, it’s possible.
A cold front coming on Thursday will drop the Friday morning lows down close to 50 degrees, but the lowest temperature in model simulations is 51 degrees.
And the long-range jet stream forecast is only showing a few troughs of similar strength, with a decent chance that the first 40-degree temperature in Denver won't come until the middle of September, which would put us close to the record.