Denver madehistory twice this month. Once with a basketball and once with an umbrella.
Thunderstorms packed a punch in parts of Colorado Monday afternoon, transforming some areas into what looked like a winter landscape. And stormy weather has been a recurring theme in recent weeks. Denver has had its fair share of wet weather since the start of May, and more precipitation is headed for the Mile High City, including Thursday when thousands will gather to celebrate the new champions of the NBA.
Bruce Brown (11) of the Denver Nuggets lays up and scores a basket against Jimmy Butler (22) of the Miami Heat in the quarter during Game 2 of the NBA Finals at Ball Arena June 04, 2023. The city won its first NBA title this year and now is set to make history with its wetest year on record. Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Image
Only three days have been rain-free in Denver since the start of June, and more chances for rain are in the short-term forecast.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Heather Zehr says there is a chance for a thunderstorm in Denver each day through the end of the week. Storms will also be possible in the nearby mountains.
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The Denver Nuggets won their first NBA Championship after defeating the Miami Heat Monday night. The city announced a celebratory parade in Denver Thursday which will start at 10 a.m. MDT Thursday near Union Station and end at Civic Center Park.
“Thursday should start off dry, which is good news for the parade. Attendees should see a partly sunny sky with temperatures in the mid-60s,” Zehr said.
Wet and stormy weather has been the theme in Denver since the second week of May. From May 1 through June 12, the city has measured 7.95 inches of rain, more than double the historical average of 3.02 inches.
“Storms will return during the mid-to late afternoon,” she said, adding that thunderstorms are likely to be more widespread Thursday than the thunderstorms anticipated Wednesday. There will be a risk of brief downpours that could soak revelers.
Last month was the fourth-wettest May on record in the city, with 5.53 inches of rain. On May 11 alone, the city measured 2.92 inches, more than the historical average for the entire month of 2.16 inches.
Denver International Airport has measured 2.42 inches of rain through June 12, more than the 1.94 inches that typically falls throughout the entire month of June, according to historical averages dating back to the 1800s.
AccuWeather meteorologists say that the recent spells of wet weather will give way to a drier pattern from July through September. The precipitation in most of Colorado is predicted to be 50 to 75 percent of the historical average through that time. The historical average rainfall in Denver during that three-month span is 5.07 inches.
A map showing historical rain fall averages. Denver is set to see record rain. ACCUWEATHER
Meteorological experts anticipate delayed fall transition, heightened wildfire threats, and severe weather outbreaks this autumn. As autumn colors emerge, weather patterns will shift across the United States.
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