Colorado’s monthly climate summary: July 2026 was the state’s 2nd-warmest month on record

The Colorado Climate Center (CCC) released its monthly climate summary for July 2026 on Aug. 10, showing the state’s hottest month of the year ran especially hot this time around.

Dozens of all-time temperature records were either tied or broken, marking Colorado’s 14th consecutive month of above-average statewide temperatures, the CCC said.

According to the CCC, statewide, July 2026 ranked as the 2nd-warmest July in 132 years of records, trailing only July 2003; 4.8°F above the 20th-century average and 3.3°F above the more recent 1991-2020 average. Some areas along the Front Range urban corridor, in Colorado’s high country, and in northwestern Colorado recorded their hottest July since record-keeping began.

Precipitation told a more mixed story.

The North American Monsoon finally arrived in July, but as usual, it didn’t arrive evenly.

Southwestern Colorado saw repeated heavy rainstorms and flash floods and finished well above average, while the Front Range, northwestern Colorado, and parts of southern Colorado missed out almost entirely, leaving the state as a whole the 45th-driest July on record.

Notable highlights in July:

• Statewide rank: 2nd-warmest July on record (132 years), 45th-driest
• Maximum daily temperature — 113°F at Burlington, just 2°F shy of the all-time state record
• Minimum daily temperature — 23°F at Gunnison 2
• Highest overnight low — 80°F at Grand Junction Walker Field (July 13)
• Maximum daily precipitation — 3.48″ at Liberty 15 SW
• July 25-28 ranked as the most extreme statewide 4-day heat wave since 1951
• Aspen Acres Fire (Pueblo/Custer counties) grew to 101,964 acres, now among the largest wildfires in state history
• Ferris Fire (Montezuma/Dolores counties) grew to 64,881 acres
• Damaging flash floods and debris flows hit Telluride, Ouray, Silverton, Beulah, Cortez, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, and I-70 between Glenwood Springs and Silt

10 all-time record high maximums were set: Maybell (102), Collbran (100), Cortez (102), Blue Mesa Lake (96), Lake George 8 SW (89), Sargents (97), Brighton 3 SE (105), Burlington (113), Fort Carson Butts AAF (101), and Walsh 1 W (110).

17 all-time record high minimums were set: Grand Junction Walker Field (80), Grand Junction 6 ESE (78), Montrose No. 2 (73), Cochetopa Creek (59), Alamosa-Bergman Field (59), Great Sand Dunes National Park (66), Pueblo Reservoir (75), Fort Carson Butts AAF (76), Palmer Lake (69), Limon (70), Kassler (76), Evergreen (64), Grand Lake 6 SSW (57), Greeley UNC (76), Leroy 5 WSW (79), Denver Lowry AFB (79), and Aurora Buckley Field ANGB (75).

A record-setting water year, too

The CCC noted that Water Year 2026 (which began Oct. 1, 2025) continues to be the warmest on record by a wide margin; 6.2°F above the 20th-century average, 4.6°F above the 1991-2020 average, and 1.7°F warmer than any previous October-through-July period ever recorded.

It’s also shaping up to be the 6th-driest water year on record, with statewide precipitation running 3.94 inches below average.

Heat waves stacked up all month

According to the CCC, a large part of why July 2026 ranked so high statewide was the sheer number of heat waves.

Using the heat wave definition from the Climate Change in Colorado report, the CCC identified four separate statewide heat waves in July: July 6-9, July 12-15, July 20-23, and July 25-28 — with that final stretch ranking as the single most extreme 4-day statewide heat wave dating back to 1951.

July 27 alone was the warmest individual day statewide since 1951, and three of the ten hottest days ever recorded in Colorado occurred this July.

Drought expands across the state

Colorado’s widespread drought continued to worsen through July.

By month’s end, about 98% of the state was at least abnormally dry, and roughly 91% was in some level of drought. Exceptional drought (D4), the most severe category, expanded to cover about 14% of the state, up from 9% at the end of June, concentrated in the north-central mountains, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, part of the southeastern Plains, and expanding further into the San Juan Mountains.

Extreme drought (D3) or worse now covers roughly 51% of Colorado, up sharply from 39% at the end of June, with growth concentrated east of the Continental Divide, including much of the Front Range Urban Corridor.

Wildfires and flash floods

Large wildfires that ignited in late June continued to grow through early July.

Two of them, the Aspen Acres Fire in Pueblo and Custer counties (101,964 acres) and the Ferris Fire in Montezuma and Dolores counties (64,881 acres), now rank among the largest in Colorado history by acreage.

Wetter monsoon weather later in the month helped firefighters increase containment on several of the state’s active fires, but that same rainfall triggered flash floods and debris flows on freshly burned terrain.

Late July is typically the peak of Colorado’s flash flood season, and this year’s new burn scars raised the risk further.

Damaging flash floods and debris flows were reported in Telluride, Ouray, Silverton, Beulah, Cortez, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, and along I-70 between Glenwood Springs and Silt, among other areas.