Denver - Hottest Decades

Ranked here are the hottest decades on record for Denver, Colorado. The lists include decades when Denver had the highest average temperatures, the most hot days and the fewest cold days. These extremes are for temperatures observed at Denver's Stapleton neighborhood and cover seven decades, from the 1950s to the 2010s.

That is when Denver had weather measurements that are consistent and complete enough to compare decades. Each decade comprises a standard 10-year range. For instance, the 1990s includes measurements from Jan 1, 1990 to Dec 31, 1999. Links to the data behind these lists are in the References section on this page.

Hottest High Temperatures

Average daily maximum temperature at Denver
High °F Decade High °C
Highest 65.5 2010s 18.6
Runner-up 65.2 2000s 18.5

Warmest Low Temperatures

Average daily minimum temperature at Denver
Low °F Decade Low °C
Highest 37.5 1980s 3.0
Runner-up 37.4 1990s 3.0

Most Warm Days

Total days per year on average when Denver had temperatures of at least 70 °F (21 °C)
Days Decade
Highest 165 2010s
Runner-up 164 2000s

Most Hot Days

Total days per year on average when Denver had temperatures of at least 90 °F (32 °C)
Days Decade
Highest 49 2010s
Runner-up 44 2000s

Fewest Freezing Days

Total days per year on average when Denver had temperatures of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower
Days Decade
Lowest 151 1980s
Runner-up 152 1990s

Fewest Cold Days

Total days per year on average when Denver had temperatures of 0 °F (-18 °C) or lower
Days Decade
Lowest 5 2000s, 1990s, 1950s
Runner-up 6 2010s

How Much Hotter are 2010s?

Compared with averages for the previous 50 years (1960 to 2009), the 2010s in Denver had:

  • 13 more days each year with temperatures of 90 °F and higher
  • 1.0 °F higher daily maximum temperatures (0.6 °C)
  • 0.6 °F higher daily minimum temperatures (0.3 °C)
  • 2 fewer days a year with temperatures of 0 °F or lower
References

Current Results. 2020. Denver CO Temperature Averages by Decade

Jay Lawrimore, Ron Ray, Scott Applequist, Bryant Korzeniewski, Matthew Menne. 2016. Global Summary of the Year, Version 1.0. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

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