Fort Collins starts hottest days of the year on average

Yes, July 16 is National Corn Fritters Day and World Snake Day, but it also marks another milestone day for those in Fort Collins.

The period of July 16-27 is on average when the hottest average temperature of the year occurs in the city, according to Russ Schumacher, state climatologist and professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University.

Last week's heat wave was a minor bust (if you enjoy the heat) as the National Weather Service had predicted three straight days of 100 degrees or more .

But Fort Collins only reached 100 degrees or more once: Friday's high was 102 degrees , tying the record high for July 12.

That was 1 degree shy of the city's all-time high of 103 degrees on July 21, 2005.

Starting July 16 through July 27, the average daily temperature throughout the entire 24 hours is 74 degrees, Schumacher said.

More: Fort Collins weather gets a breather this week after last week's heat wave

The average high temperature in Fort Collins on July 10-27 is 88 degrees, also the hottest stretch in the city.

July also has the most 100 degree and hotter days of any month in Fort Collins with 18. Those records include recordings from 1900 to present.

Schumacher explained in a 2022 Coloradoan story the reason why it's pretty rare for Fort Collins to reach 100 degrees compared to other lower elevation locations east of the mountains.

He explained that days when the air mass is hot enough to reach 100 degrees also tend to have enough moisture for afternoon clouds, which hold down the temperature.

"With our proximity to the foothills, those afternoon clouds tend to reach Fort Collins an hour or two earlier than places farther east like DIA, so we often flirt with 100-plus degrees but don’t quite get there," he said.

That's what happened Saturday, July 13, and Sunday, July 14, when clouds kept temperatures below 100 degrees both days. Saturday's high was 96 and Sunday's high was 99.

The National Weather Service's five-day forecast for Fort Collins calls for typical July temperatures for this time of year with highs between 85 and 91 degrees.

Coloradoan reporter Rebecca Powell contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins starts hottest days of the year on average