(COLORADO) — Colorado’s weather has a reputation, and this summer is proving why. One day you’re sweating under blazing sun, and the next we are much cooler. But is it just our perception, or have temperatures really been all over the place?
To get a better sense of how this summer has shaped up temperature-wise, FOX21 Storm Team Meteorologist Nic Temple pulled daily high temperatures for both Colorado Springs and Pueblo from official National Weather Service records. He then compared those highs to the climatological averages, or the the “normal” values that we would expect to see.
The result? A clear look at just how up-and-down our summer has been.
The black line shows the average high for each day, while the red line represents the actual observed high. If it looks like the red line is playing Frogger with the black one, it kind of is. Some days we’ve landed well below average, with highs only in the upper 50s. Other days, we’ve spiked toward 100 degrees. There hasn’t been a consistent pattern, and that’s part of the story.
In fact, when you run the numbers, only 22 of the last 50 days have been above average in Colorado Springs. That’s just 44%, which means most days have actually been at or below what’s considered typical for this time of year.
Here, the story’s a bit different. The same zig-zag pattern is present, but Pueblo has seen more days above average or normal, 27 out of 50, or 54%. It’s a subtle difference, but noticeable. If it’s felt hotter more often in Pueblo, the data backs that up. And if your AC feels like it’s been working overtime then it probably has!
This summer hasn’t been a steady burn, it’s been a temperature roller coaster, bouncing around depending on the weather pattern of the day.
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