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If your new fall jacket has been sitting out the season in the closet because of the September heat wave, here’s some bad news: The average date for the first frost in Denver is October 7. And the season’s first snow typically follows less than two weeks later, on October 19, according to 7News. In other words, given days like yesterday, with record-breaking heat (92 degrees, eclipsing the old record of 89 nearly a decade ago) in Denver, you might not get a chance to wear that fall coat, going straight from short sleeves to winter down.
So far, seven days this month have hit the 90s, including September 19, when it was 96 degrees—20 degrees higher than normal, notes 9News. Still, this September isn’t yet considered the warmest on record. Seven other Septembers since recordkeeping began have been warmer. It’s also been unusually dry. Official measurements show just .06 inches of rain when the average is 1.4 inches. This year is tied for fifth driest; you have to look back to the Septembers of 1882 and 1920 to find months this parched.