Denver Weather: Another Scorcher! More Record Heat Through Thursday

DENVER (CBS4) - It's been 15 years since the Denver metro area has experienced such hot temperatures so early in the summer season. Wednesday will be just as hot as Tuesday with more 100 degree heat along the Front Range.

Denver set a new record for June 15 on Tuesday when the temperature reached 101 degrees in the early afternoon. The previous record for the date was 97 degrees last set in 1993. And Denver was not alone. Many records were broken across the state on Tuesday including in Fort Collins (103 degrees), Dillon (84 degrees), Grand Lake (87 degrees), and in Grand Junction (103 degrees).

Temperatures on Wednesday will be very similar which is almost 20 degrees above normal for the middle of June. The record in Denver for June 16 is 96 degrees set just a year ago. It's possible the city could have a new record before 12 p.m. which is very unusual. Record highs are almost always broken in the afternoon.

It will also be scorching hot around most of the state on Wednesday with triple digit temperatures across the Eastern Plains and Western Slope. Even many traditionally cool mountain towns like Leadville will reach the 80s.

In addition to the heat, air quality will be poor again on Wednesday thanks to a combination of ground-level ozone and wildfire smoke originating mainly outside of Colorado (mostly from Utah and Arizona).

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has declared the air "unhealthy for sensitive groups" meaning young children, older adults, and anyone with respiratory issues. These groups should avoid prolonged periods of time outside and everyone should take precautions to stay safe in the heat including staying well hydrated.

Looking ahead to Thursday, temperatures should drop a few degrees meaning it's more likely records could be tied instead of broken. The record for Thursday in Denver is 98 degrees from June 17, 2012.

Then a more noticeable temperature drop will occur on Friday thanks to a weak summer cold front. The Denver metro area may stay in the 80s on Friday but most neighborhoods will still reach close to 90 degrees. The front will also bring a better chance for late day showers and thunderstorms starting Friday and continuing into Saturday. That said, the chance will likely not climb higher than 30% in the metro area. The mountains have a 50-60% chance for afternoon and/or evening storms on Friday and Saturday.