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Denver Weather: Labor Day Weekend Starts Near Normal, Then Turns Hot!

DENVER (CBS4) - The cold front that swept across Colorado on Wednesday will keep temperatures at or below normal through the start of the weekend. Then intense heat will quickly return for Labor Day.

High temperatures along the Front Range will stop in the lower 80s on Thursday and again on Friday. Saturday will be slightly warmer but close to normal for early September with about 84 degrees in the Denver metro area. That will likely be the "coolest" day of the three day weekend.

Labor Day Weekend
(source: CBS)

In terms of moisture, a few showers are possible on Thursday and Friday mainly in the afternoon but some unusual overnight rain will also be possible late Thursday.

By Saturday, the chance for an afternoon shower or thunderstorm will be low (20%) and that should be only chance for moisture over the holiday weekend.

A similar forecast is expected for the foothills and mountains.

Labor Day Weekend Mtns
(source: CBS)

A few showers or thunderstorms could develop in the high country Saturday afternoon followed by completely dry weather on Sunday and Monday. Temperatures will also be close to normal for late summer with warm afternoon and cool overnights. High temperatures at 9,000 feet will reach the 70s all three days and overnight lows will be in the 30s and 40s. The vast majority of mountain areas will stay above freezing at night.

While it will become quite warm in most of Colorado as the weekend progresses, it won't be nearly as hot as it was a year ago. Labor Day Weekend 2020 started with 101 degrees on Saturday which set the record for the hottest temperature ever recorded in Denver in September. Then it reached 97 degrees on Sunday which was a record for the date. Labor Day itself was 93 degrees which made the Top 10 list of hottest Labor Day's on record (#7).

Labor Day Record1
(source: CBS)

Then the temperature dropped 63 degrees between Monday and Tuesday and there was officially 1 inch of snow in Denver. It was the first measurable snow in September in 20 years and the most snow so early in the season in nearly 60 years.

There will be no record change after Labor Day this year. Next week looks mostly sunny, mostly dry, and quite warm with high temperatures reaching at least 90 degrees each day.

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