Fall never looked so good.
It was a record hot summer in Colorado, with the state's overall temperature average at nearly 70 degrees. Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows this summer's average - 69.4 degrees Fahrenheit, to be exact - topped the previous high in 2012 by almost a full degree.
What's more, temperature monitors in Denver recorded 65 days this summer at or above 90 degrees. The average since 1991 is 45.
"So clearly we're seeing far more high temperatures above 90 degrees," said Meteorologist Kenley Bonner with the National Weather Service in Boulder.
Fort Collins and Greeley had their hottest summers. Denver tied its second warmest since 1872. And in the higher elevations, places like Estes Park also saw extremes.
"The last three years in Estes Park were the warmest on record. 2026 was ranked the hottest, followed by 2024 and 2025, so there's definitely a warming trend present there," Bonner said.
A report released by NOAA this month shows how widespread record temperatures were this summer across the U.S. In August, daytime maximum temperatures averaged 88.6 degrees Fahrenheit - the warmest ever. A large swath of Colorado saw record heat in August, primarily in the Rocky Mountains.
