Denver’s high temperature on Thursday will be close to record heat

The heat is on in Denver and a near-record high temperature is expected on Thursday.

Skies will be mostly sunny in the city and the high temperature should sizzle to about 88 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The record high temperature in Denver on April 30 is 90 degrees set in 1992. The record is also the hottest temperature for the entire month of April in the city.

The normal high temperature for Denver on April 30 is 66 degrees, according to the weather service.

Mostly cloudy skies in Denver on Thursday night will help cool things down quickly, the overnight low will drop to 55 degrees.

Friday, however, will be another hot day in Denver with a high temperature of 84 degrees. There’s a 10% chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms in the city and winds will gust to 18 mph, the weather service said.

Colorado’s heat means that rivers and streams will be quickly rising because of accelerated snow melt in the mountains. There is no significant flooding expected in the short-term forecast, but some areas of northwestern Colorado will see waterways rising to nearly to top of their banks.

Areas to watch closely include: Elkhead Creek, upper Elk River, upper Slater Fork, and other streams in the upper Yampa Basin, the weather service said. Anyone near or on waterways should be aware of changing conditions and use caution.

The weather in Denver will cool off this weekend with a high temperature of 78 on Saturday and Sunday. There’s a 40% chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms on Saturday, with just a slight chance on Sunday.