It’s hotter than usual in Southwest Colorado, said Dan Cuevas of the National Weather Service in Grand Junction, and the 90-plus degree heat is likely to continue this week.
“There is a very large and strong high pressure system hovering over the Great Basin,” Cuevas said. “It’s definitely going to stay there until midweek, and then hopefully it flattens out.”
On Monday, the high at Cortez Municipal Airport reached 99 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. On Tuesday, it was 95.
Wednesday’s forecast called for a record-tying high of 93 for Sept. 7.
Durango reached 96 degrees Monday, and 98 Tuesday, according to the weather service. Cuevas said there was not enough information yet to know whether the highs set records.
Residents can expect hot weather, with highs in the 90s for the rest of the week, the weather service said, with high temperatures dropping into the 80s.
Tuesday on the Front Range, record-high heat led public schools without air conditioning to close or send students home early, according to Chalkbeat.
More than 30 Denver schools called for “heat days,” according to a district news release, and schools planned to release students early Wednesday and Thursday. Four schools are closing altogether for at least one day this week.
Tuesday was the fourth day this September with temperatures above 95 degrees, breaking a record for the month, and Wednesday and Thursday could both see temperatures near 100 degrees, according to Denver meteorologists.
Cuevas said temperatures are high enough that residents need to take precautions.
“It looks like we’re going to have above normal temperatures for the rest of September,” he said. “People need to be careful if they’re working or spending leisurely time outside. Make sure to drink plenty of water, and if you can, try to work during the coolest parts of the day.”
Cuevas said the hot, dry weather is a concern when it comes to the long-lasting drought in Southwest Colorado.
“The heat definitely won’t be helping the drought in southern Colorado,” he said. “There is a chance we’ll have a wetter than normal fall, but it also looks like we may have an equal chance of drier than normal weather, which is concerning. Especially when it comes to wildfires in the area.”
The Journal in Cortez and Chalkbeat in Denver contributed to this article.
