The good news is that it won't be as bad in the Rockies as it was during Paleolithc times, when there were fewer breweries, swimming pools and magacities demanding water and air-conditioning.
Regardless, consider that much of Colorado is in a long drought combined with a stretch of record-breaking heat, and with huge fires, presaged by this 2010 report:
How bad is it in Denver, and eastward, in June?An unprecedented combination of heat plus decades of drought could be in store for the Southwest sometime this century, suggests new research from a University of Arizona-led team.To come to this conclusion, the team reviewed previous studies that document the region's past temperatures and droughts.
"Major 20th century droughts pale in comparison to droughts documented in paleoclimatic records over the past two millennia," the researchers wrote.
During the Medieval period, elevated temperatures coincided with lengthy and widespread droughts...
"We're not saying future droughts will be worse than what we see in the paleo record, but we are saying they could be as bad," said lead author Connie A. Woodhouse, a UA associate professor of geography and regional development. "However, the effects of such a worst-case drought, were it to recur in the future, would be greatly intensified by even warmer temperatures."
The Mile High city soared to 105 Monday afternoon, its hottest June temperature on record and tied for its hottest all-time temperature. Today, it hit 100 for the 5th straight day, tying the record for most consecutive days at 100 or better. It has set or tied record highs on an amazing 7 occasions this month.
Not far away, in Colorado Springs Monday, the mercury reached at least 100 for a second straight day for only the second time on record (previous instance: June 23-24, 1954)
Heading east into western Kansas, several locations established June monthly heat records Sunday and Monday.Steadily, the heat will bleed eastward in the coming days.
According to CapitalClimate, on Sunday monthly record highs were reached in the towns of Goodland (109, tie with June 18, 1936), Hill City (114, tie with June 30, 1933), Tribune (109, tie with June 23, 2012, also an all-time high), and Colby (111). On Monday, Colby broke its June record set the previous day, hitting 112...
The record-breaking heat even made it as far as Arkansas where Little Rock spiked to 105, tying its June high temperature record. (Source: CapitalClimate)...
All told, 107 record high temperatures were set Monday across the Lower 48. Of these, AccuWeather meteorologist Bill Deger said at least 6 locations in Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado established all-time heat records.
The heat is coming east
