DENVER — Denver smashed its record high temperature on Friday, with the mercury spiking up to 89 degrees at Denver International Airport (DIA).
That led to Denver breaking its previous record high temperature of 88 degrees, which was last set in 1989, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Boulder.
Denver's official climatological records are kept at Denver International Airport.
On top of that, the high of 89° in Denver on Friday made it the hottest April temperature in the city since 1992, and it also tied for Denver's second-hottest April temperature on record.
Friday's high of 80 degrees or above marked the third time this April (and fourth time this year) that Denver's hit 80 degrees or higher. The city's average first 80-degree day, on average, falls on April 18.
Friday's scorching heat, of course, directly contributed to the extreme fire danger that covered most of eastern Colorado.
Winds gusted up to 73 mph at Buckley Air Force Base, and the relative humidity dropped down to 5%, meaning it was an exceptionally dry air mass as well. In Denver, winds regularly gusted above 50 mph.
The heat dissipates quickly, though, with a sharp cold front knocking back temperatures after midnight. Highs on Saturday and Sunday may struggle to hit 60 degrees either day, with a chance for rain showers on both days.
The welcome news, a weather system will bring snow to Colorado's mountains and a few light rain showers to lower elevations over the weekend with cooler temperatures in the mid to upper 50s.
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