Watch CBS News

From 83° To 13°: Our Temperature Drop Was Among The Largest On Record!

DENVER (CBS4) - Thursday evening before midnight, the temperature in Denver dropped to a record low of 13 degrees. The previous day the city came close to a record high with 83 degrees. This difference of 70 degrees in just 2 days ties for fourth largest temperature change in Denver since 1872 when records began.

70degree drop
(credit: CBS)

We missed a tie with the largest 2 day temperature change by just 2 degrees. That occurred in 2008 when the temperature dropped 76 degrees between December 14 and 15. But what happened this week is certainly a record for the largest temperature swing in October. No other October dates even appear on the list of the top 25 largest changes over 1 or 2 days.

Cold People Bundle Up For The October 2019 Snowstorm in Denver
(credit: CBS)

In addition, the record low of 13 degrees on Wednesday and 9 degrees on Thursday shattered the old records by 4 degrees and 13 degrees respectively. This is remarkable since most records are usually broken by just a degree or two regardless if it's a record high or a record low.

1
(source: CBS)

What Colorado experienced this week is truly unprecedented for October.

The Flatirons In Boulder on Oct. 11, 2019
The Flatirons In Boulder on Oct. 11, 2019 (credit: CBS)
The Flatirons In Boulder on Oct. 11, 2019
The Flatirons In Boulder on Oct. 11, 2019 (credit: CBS)

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story stated the 70 degree drop between Wednesday and Thursday was tied for the second largest temperature change on record. This information was provided by the National Weather Service office in Boulder who later revised the ranking to a tie for the fourth largest temperature change on record.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.