Denver Weather: Smoke, Ozone Create Poor Air Quality As The Heat Wave Continues

DENVER (CBS4) - Wednesday will be the fifth consecutive day with temperatures reaching into the 90s which is unusual for this early in the season. The average first 90 degree day of the year in Denver is not until June 10.

Similar to recent days, temperatures will stay below records on Wednesday despite being at least 10 degrees above normal for early June. The current record high temperature for Wednesday is 95 degrees set on June 9, 2021.

Thursday will be hotter than Wednesday and should become the new hottest day so far this year with high temperatures in the mid 90s. But the record for June 10 is also higher (99 degrees set in 2013) so it seems unlikely there will be a broken record.

In addition to the heat, the ski will appear hazy at times on Wednesday and Thursday thanks a high concertation of ground-level ozone as well as wildfire smoke originating mainly outside of Colorado. Most of the smoke is coming from the large Telegraph Fire and others burning in Arizona.

As a result, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has issued an Ozone Action Day in the metro area through at least 4 p.m. Wednesday. Residents are asked to combinate car trips or take a bike instead of a non-EV vehicle whenever possible.

After one more hazy and hot day on Thursday, Colorado will be threated to a weak late-spring cold front set to arrive Thursday. The front will drop temperatures back into the lower 80s for one day on Friday. Then big heat starts to build again over the weekend.

The only chance for thunderstorms in Denver and along the Front Range will wait until Sunday.