Denver is heating up to a sunny 92°F today, but the bigger headline from the National Weather Service isn’t the heat — it’s critical fire weather stretching across South Park, the southern foothills, and the Palmer Divide, so hold off on any outdoor burning, fireworks, or unattended grilling until winds settle down tonight.
Today’s Setup
Skies stay sunny through the afternoon with patchy smoke drifting in between 10 AM and 4 PM MT, and a southeast wind of 5 to 10 mph gusting to 16 mph will keep humidity low. There’s only a slight chance (about 20%) of a stray shower or storm later this evening, and the National Weather Service Denver/Boulder office notes the best chance of any activity stays well northeast of the metro, closer to Fort Morgan. Overnight lows settle near 58°F, actually ticking back up to around 60°F before sunrise.
Best Window To Be Outside
Morning into early afternoon is your cleanest window before smoke thickens midday. Evening cools off nicely for patio time once winds ease after sunset — good news if you’re headed to Red Rocks Amphitheatre tonight for Treaty Oak Revival, where a light layer will feel good once temperatures drop into the upper 50s.
Fire, Wind, And Heat Risk
This is the story to watch: forecasters say elevated to critical fire weather continues Thursday and Friday, especially along and south of I-70, driven by a persistent southwesterly flow aloft. If you’re in the foothills or Palmer Divide, keep a garden hose 100ft handy for defensible space, and pack an N95 respirator mask smoke in the car in case smoke thickens on your commute. A go bag emergency evacuation kit is smart insurance if you live near open space right now.
What To Wear Or Bring
A lightweight linen shirt and a Yeti rambler water bottle are the move for the 92°F afternoon. If you’re headed downtown for the Josh Groban with special guest Jennifer Hudson show at Ball Arena tonight, dress light for the walk in — tickets on SeatGeek are still available for both that show and Treaty Oak Revival at Red Rocks.
Looking ahead, the Colorado Rockies host the Miami Marlins at Coors Field on Thursday, July 2 — expect sunny skies near 94°F with light south winds, solid tailgating weather if you’re grilling beforehand. Grab a Colorado Rockies jersey or Colorado Rockies fitted cap before first pitch. Dierks Bentley also plays Ford Amphitheater that same night.
Helpful Links
Browse outdoor gear deals for smoke and heat prep, or check out the DARAN 288Wh Power Station if you want backup power on hand during fire-season outages.
For dinner, keep it simple with a light pasta or stir-fry that doesn’t require firing up an outdoor grill during today’s fire danger. Need ingredients? You can order groceries on Amazon and have everything for tonight’s dinner delivered to your door — Amazon Fresh groceries makes it easy to skip a store run on a smoky afternoon.
Next Few Days
Thursday repeats Wednesday’s script — sunny, near 94°F, with critical fire weather continuing especially south of I-70. The good news: the National Weather Service expects near-normal temperatures and scattered showers and storms to return by July 4th, which should help ease the fire concern heading into the holiday weekend.
