It may be the end of September, but Mother Nature is intent on keeping the summer heat coming.
As measured at Denver International Airport, Denver hit a high temperature today of 92 degrees. This ties the record high for September 29 last set in 1892.
The Mile High City also tied the record for the warmest low temperature for the date. The mercury only descended to 61 degrees, tying the record mark last set in 1981.
Here in Thornton, we matched DIA with a high of 92 degrees. We were, however, a good bit cooler with a low of 55 degrees. At Stapleton, where historical Denver weather records were taken from 1950 to 1995, the high was 90 degrees and the low 56 degrees.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City hit an official high temperature of 93 degrees today. That easily breaks the old record high for September 26 of 90 degrees set way back in 1892.
Here in Thornton, we were a bit cooler with a high of 91 degrees recorded. At Stapleton, where historical Denver weather records were taken from 1950 to 1995, the high was 90 degrees.
Record or not? Why Denver’s climate records should have an asterisk next to them. (ThorntonWeather.com)
In 1995 with the opening of Denver International Airport, the National Weather Service moved the Mile High City’s official weather station to the new facility. This location, 12 miles from the old Stapleton site, oftentimes sees far different weather than what the majority of people in the Denver area see and it is reflected in our weather records.
We have long said that any claims of a weather record having been set since 1995 should include an asterisk, noting that the comparison is to the old locations and thus not really valid. Those 12 miles make a world of difference.
In the latest example of how our climate records are being altered, Denver supposedly set five all-time record high temperatures this summer. The reality? Not one of those days would have been record-setting had the station not been moved.
Retired National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Larison has long railed against the move of the weather station. In a recent letter to the editor in the Denver Post, he called out the media hype and the National Weather Service for the invalid comparisons. It is shared here with his permission.
Denver’s recent heat wave wasn’t really record-breaking and here’s why
Denver Post Opinion, August 21, 2024
Re: “100-degree sizzlers here to stay as summers get hotter,” Aug. 11 news story
Any discussion of Denver weather records must include the fact that the official recording site was moved to Denver International Airport (DIA) when it opened in 1995. This location has a different microclimate than the previous site of Stapleton Airport, situated 12 miles to the southwest of DIA. Before Stapleton, weather records were taken in downtown Denver dating back to 1872.
On Sunday, Aug. 4, the daily record high of 102 set at DIA would not have been a record at Denver Central Park (Stapleton) where the daily high was 96. In fact, none of the five daily record highs set at DIA this summer would have been records at the previous Denver sites. DIA has reached 100 degrees on six days in 2024, while the highest temperature recorded at Central Park has been 99.
With all the media hype of human-made climate change and record heat, we need to be careful not to compare apples and oranges with weather stats going out to the world representing Denver. Average annual precipitation also tends to run a bit lower at DIA, and snowfall is quite often less at the airport due to its proximity farther away from the mountains.
— Dave Larison, Longmont
— Editor’s note: Larison is a retired National Weather Service meteorologist
RELATED: Two airports, two different climates. Read the series:
Another high temperature record is in the books for the Mile High City. As measured at Denver International Airport, Denver hit a high temperature of 98 degrees. This ties the record high for August 17 last set in 2020.
Here in Thornton, we were actually warmer with a high of 99 degrees. At Stapleton, where historical Denver weather records were taken from 1950 to 1995, the high was only 93 degrees.
August keeps the heat coming and another record falls.
As measured at Denver International Airport, Denver’s official high temperature for today reached 102 degrees. This easily beats the old record high for August 4 of 98 degrees set in 1979, 1981 and 2022.
Thornton stayed a good bit “cooler” recording a high of 97 degrees.
The heat just keeps on coming and another warm weather record falls.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City’s temperature topped out at 99 degrees today. That ties the previous record for the date also recorded in 2005, 1995 and 1877.
Thornton managed to stay a little bit cooler with a high of 97 degrees.
Another record high. After setting a record high two days ago, Denver set another today.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City’s high temperature today topped out at 101 degrees. That beats the previous record high for July 14 of 100 degrees set way back in 1878.
Here in Thornton, we were slightly cooler with a high of 100 degrees.
A hot one for sure! As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City’s official high temperature today was 102 degrees. This beats the previous record high for July 13 of 101 degrees set in 1971 and 1954.
Here in Thornton, we matched Denver’s number with a high of 102 degrees as well.
A very mild early morning at the airport. As measured at Denver International Airport, Denver’s low temperature for yesterday came in at 68 degrees. This sets a record high minimum for the date, beating the old record of 67 degrees set in 1990.
Thornton enjoyed cooler temperatures as we bottomed out at 62 degrees, far closer to normal.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City’s high temperature today topped out at 97 degrees. That ties the record high for June 12th, last set in 1952.
Here in Thornton, we actually were a bit toastier with a high of 99 degrees.
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