Hot Denver weather!! (summer, thunderstorms, couple)

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by eepstein

Well living in Austin, no matter how miserable it gets, there is NO way out. In other words, you can drive hundreds of miles in any direction and the heat is just as bad. However, in Denver, even when its 100 degrees, you can drive up into the mountains (Estes Park, Vail, Allenpark, etc) and the temps are 20-25 degrees cooler. It's like an escape!! I can't imagine what I-70 must have looked like this past weekend heading up into the mountains!

My daughter said it was pretty bad coming back yesterday. She also said it was 88 in Leadville on Sat. That is about 15 degrees cooler than metro Denver.

[Snikt]

Kinda over this already. I've been seeing 104-105 in my vehicle in the afternoons after driving for minutes, not sitting parked in the sun.

Was going to maybe drive up to Loveland Pass or Berthoud Pass, but it was still 80s up there

[Timmyy]

I missed most of it. I was in Anaheim from Friday morning through last night. Mid 70s there. I just want it to cool down to help with the fire fighting efforts.

[suzco]

Another record heat day is predicted for today, and likely tomorrow. We're in record range for most consecutive days over 100º.
From 9news:

Denver Weather Forecast
6:09 AM, Jun 25, 2012

*Sunday June 24th: DIA set a new record high of 102 degrees. The old record was 100 degrees set in 2007.*

That makes Sunday the third consecutive day above 100 degrees. The record for most consecutive 100-degree days is 5, set from July 4-8, 1989 and from July 19-23, 2005.

TODAY: Day number 4 of 100 degree heat is in store for this Monday afternoon. Denver remains under a RED FLAG WARNING from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. with wind gusts out of the south to 30 mph expected. Highs will be from 99 to 104 degrees. The record high for June 25 is 100 degrees, last set in 1991. . .

[bluescreen73]

Back to the OP's original question re: Elevation/temperature -

Denver's expected highs
103, 102, 99, 98, 96

Hays, Kansas (elevation 1998 ft)
110, 110, 111, 107, 103

[MobileDave]

Originally Posted by zenkonami

So tired of the "dry heat" meme. I've done hot and humid, and yes it is absolutely miserable.

But for a dry heat, crank the temp up to 200 on your oven for 15 minutes. Now open your oven and put your head in there. Try touching some of the metal work. That's living in a dry heat. You can't open your car door or touch your steering wheel if it's been in the sun, you dehydrate so fast you can't take in water fast enough, and if you lack air conditioning and have only a fan in your home, you are doing little more than blowing that hot dry air around.

Both types of heat can be miserable for completely different reasons. I think most people that argue "dry heat" may have visited (perhaps in a well air conditioned hotel or early in the morning on the golf course before the heat sets in), but have never really *lived* in such conditions.

But in very plain and simple terms dry heat is not as uncomfortable as humid heat. ANY heat sucks but look at the following when examining the dew points (10 x better measure of how the humidity feels) -

Denver - 100
Dew point - 27
Heat index - 95

Las Vegas - 101
Dew Point - 10
Heat index - 95

Houston - 101
Dew point - 66 (and this is low for Houston right now)
Heat index - 105

(Temps from today)

That 10 degrees makes a HUGE difference and explains why humid weather is hotter. Yes, I've been to dry climates including Denver and while it is hot it always feels hotter when I get back to TX. You have to drink more water in a humid climate because you lose more. This is a fact.

From the #2 heart hospital in the U.S. -

"In dry weather, sweat evaporates quickly, so only a small amount of sweat is needed to lower body temperature. But in humid conditions, sweat takes longer to evaporate from the skin because the air already contains a lot of water. So, in these humid conditions, the body tries to cool itself by sweating even more. If you do not replenish the water that your body loses, you will become dehydrated."

Hot Weather Exercise Tips - Texas Heart Institute Heart Information Center

[Veeham]

We have been considering moving to Colorado. We are in Houston and right now at 9 PM the temp is 85, dewpoint is 74% and humidity is 80%. We hate it here. We spend almost all summer in doors and by all summer, I mean May through September because it is way too hot to be outside for too long. Not to mention the mosquitos. It's really aweful when you can't enjoy your summers with the kids because it's too hot. I would love to live somewhere that has 4 seasons, because we only have 2, hot and hell.
To the pp who is serving overseas, We appreciate all of your hard work just so we can sit here and complain about the weather in our air conditioned homes. Bless you!

[goolsbyjazz]

Grew up in humid heat and lived in it most of my life. Have lived in a "dry" environment for the past 14 years and prefer it hands down. However, living in Arizona in the summer (the valley) is tough when you don't want to go outside due to the "blow dryer" effect. But I must say, even though it is hot in the direct sun when you step into the shade it's an entirely different story. When I first moved here I was amazed how different it felt sitting in the shade as opposed to the sun. Back East, the humidity was high whether in or out of the sun! Not to beat a dead horse because I realize some folks prefer the humidity for various reasons.

We visited family in Boston last summer and really enjoyed the weather until our last morning. It was 74 degrees when we woke up, but the humidity level was off the charts and none of us could stay dry. Prior to that, I thought of moving back East a number of times to be near family and childhood friends, but the thought of the humid summers and long, cold, winters snaps me back to reality every time.

[Snikt]

Anyone else ready for fall / winter?

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Snikt

Anyone else ready for fall / winter?

No, I just want normal summer weather.