Denver Weather: Poor Air Quality And Near Record Heat Through Friday

DENVER (CBS4) - After a brief break from above-normal temperatures on Monday, temperatures will soar back into the 90s on Tuesday and high temperatures should be within 4 degrees of a record in Denver each day through Friday. And skies are hazy for another day in the metro area.

Denver will reach at least 95 degrees on Tuesday. The record is 97 degrees set on August 11, 2000.

Elsewhere around Colorado temperatures will also be above normal even for the second week in August. Some areas in southern Colorado will come close to 100 degrees but triple digits are more likely on Wednesday compared to Tuesday.

In addition to be hot, it will also be dry virtually statewide. There is a chance for late day thunderstorms on the far Eastern Plains and a few of those storms could be severe with hail and damaging wind. Otherwise dry weather is expected including the Denver metro area.

The dry weather will combine with the hot temperatures, occasionally gusty winds, and very dry soil to keep the fire danger high, particularly on the Western Slope. Cities such as Grand Junction, Montrose, Durango and Cortez are under a Red Flag Warning Tuesday afternoon and evening. The weather won't help to firefighters trying to contain the wildfires burning in western Colorado, including the Grizzly Creek fire near Glenwood Springs.

The smoke from those wildfires has prompted a Air Quality Alert for Eagle, Rio Blanco, Garfield and Mesa Counties because of high concentrations of wildfire smoke.

There is also an Air Quality Alert for Colorado's Front Range urban corridor from Douglas County north to Larimer and Weld counties, including the Denver-Boulder area, Fort Collins and Greeley. It's a combination of wildfire smoke and summer ozone causing bad air quality in the metro area. Visibility will be poor all day on Tuesday.

Similar weather is expected for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday with hazy sunshine, poor quality, and near record temperatures.