132-year-old temperature record falls in Colorado as sweltering heat slams state

Easter Sunday was a hot one around parts of Colorado, resulting in a number of daily record highs falling. Perhaps the most notable record to be topped was one first set in Pueblo in 1889.

According to the National Weather Service, the temperature in Pueblo on April 4 reached 86 degrees Fahrenheit, beating a previous high of 81 degrees for April 4, which was reached in 2000 and 1959 after first being set in 1889.

Colorado Springs reached 79 degrees, besting a record high of 77 set in 1967, and Alamosa hit 72, besting a record high of 71 set in 1943.

Denver also broke a temperature record, hitting 80 degrees on Sunday. The previous record was 76 degrees, set in 1959 and tied in 1967. This was also the first time Denver reached 80 degrees in 2021.

As of 2 PM on Sunday, Lamar was one of the hottest places in the state, reaching a temperature of 87 degrees. La Junta, Springfield, and Cañon City also reached into the 80s, hitting 86, 82, and 81 degrees respectively.

Even the mountains got toasty, with Leadville temperatures climbing to 51 degrees around 2 PM – hot, but still shy of the 60 degree Fahrenheit record set in 2006.

Warmer temperatures are expected to continue into Monday around Colorado before a widespread chance of precipitation on Tuesday. Tuesday will likely bring a return to more typical April norms for more of the state.