For Denver, what are the record high and record low temperatures and their dates?
— L. Travis The warmest temperature ever recorded in Denver was 105 degrees, on July 20, 2005, and Aug. 8, 1878, reports Kyle Fredin of the National Weather Service in Boulder. The mercury has hit 104 several times, most recently last summer, on Aug. 1. As for the lowest temperature, imagine 29 degrees below zero, which was reached on Jan. 9, 1875. The next lowest was 25 below, which we’ve recorded several times, most recently on Dec. 22, 1990. Asked about the accuracy of 19th century equipment, Fredin said thermometers were fairly reliable back then. Readings in the 1800s and later were taken at locations downtown; the site moved to the old Stapleton Airport in 1949 and Denver International Airport in 1995. Got a question about Denver or Colorado that’s bugging you? E-mail me, the Denver Wacky Questions Examiner, at denvertrivia@aol.com, and I’ll find the answer.
