Just over seven decades ago, Boulder experienced the hottest weather ever officially recorded.

On July 11, 1954, the temperature reached 104°F, tying the city’s all-time record high that had already been set on June 23, 1954. More than 70 years later, those two days remain the hottest ever officially observed in Boulder according to NOAA climate records.

The remarkable summer of 1954 produced one of the most intense heat waves in Boulder history, including four consecutive days of temperatures at or above 100°F.

The Historic 1954 Heat Wave

Daily high temperatures during the record-setting stretch were:

• July 9, 1954: 99°F
• July 10, 1954: 100°F
• July 11, 1954: 104°F (ties Boulder’s all-time record high)
• July 12, 1954: 103°F
• July 13, 1954: 102°F
• July 14, 1954: 87°F as cooler air arrived

From July 10 through July 13, Boulder recorded four consecutive days of 100°F or hotter, a streak that still ranks among the most extraordinary in the city’s weather history.

Adding to the significance, Boulder had already reached 104°F on June 23, 1954, meaning both official record highs occurred during the same unforgettable summer.

Boulder’s Highest Temperatures on Record

According to official NOAA climate records:

Rank 1 (Tie)

• 104°F — June 23, 1954
• 104°F — July 11, 1954

Rank 3

• 103°F — July 12, 1954

Rank 4 (Tie)

• 102°F — June 23, 2012
• 102°F — July 13, 1954
• 102°F — August 24, 1936
• 102°F — July 22, 1931

Rank 8 (Tie – 101°F)

• July 9, 2025
• June 25, 2012
• June 24, 2012
• July 21, 2005
• July 24, 2003
• July 1, 2002
• June 26, 1994
• August 6, 1979
• August 8, 1969
• July 24, 1953
• August 9, 1947
• July 27, 1947

Additional 100°F days have occurred in recent decades, but none has surpassed the 104°F record established in 1954.

A Record That Still Stands

Although Boulder occasionally reaches 100°F during exceptionally hot summers, temperatures above 101°F remain uncommon. The combination of two 104°F days and four consecutive triple-digit highs makes the summer of 1954 one of the most remarkable weather events in the city’s history.

More than 70 years later, 104°F remains Boulder’s all-time official record high temperature. Despite modern heat waves and several recent triple-digit summers, no official observation has exceeded the records set during that extraordinary summer.

For anyone experiencing a hot day in Boulder, it’s worth remembering that the city’s weather history still points back to July 1954—the summer that set the standard for extreme heat.

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