If you can't stand the heat, get out of Denver by 2050

National August 95ºF from Climate Central on Vimeo. It's been an unusually cool summer this year -- and if the folks at ClimateCentral.org are right, such seasons will become even less common as time marches on. A just-released article declares: "Today, seven cities break 90°F on at least half of...

By Michael Roberts

August 20, 2009

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National August 95ºF from Climate Central on Vimeo.

It's been an unusually cool summer this year -- and if the folks at ClimateCentral.org are right, such seasons will become even less common as time marches on. A just-released article declares: "Today, seven cities break 90°F on at least half of the days of a typical August; by the 2050's, they could be joined by Atlanta, Denver, Indianapolis, Miami and Philadelphia." Elsewhere, a chart about projected August temperatures in surveyed cities gets specific about Denver. According to Climate Central's numbers, Denver averaged seven days over 90 degrees each August in the 1980s and 1990s -- a total that could rise to 22 by 2050. Likewise, the average of one August day over 95 degrees during the past two decades is predicted to reach twelve by mid-century. Start hoarding sunscreen immediately.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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