Christine Johnson has just finished playing her fifth tennis match since Thursday in the Chester Harris Memorial City Tournament at Denver’s City Park. She won three out of five as of Saturday afternoon. But, the New York native admits it was a struggle because of the heat.
“So, when you're playing, it just feels like you're on fire. I felt like my heart rate couldn't come down,” said Johnson as she cooled off under the shade of a tree. “At one point I was close to defaulting the match because I felt like my blood pressure was going up and just because I couldn't cool myself down. So, it was really tough being out there, stepping into the shade helped. But it was still a struggle being outside today.”
Johnson and the rest of the Front Range are feeling the heat this weekend, and it looks like the near triple-digit temperatures won’t be coming down anytime soon.
Temperatures reached over 100 degrees across the Eastern Plains. Lamar reached 107 degrees. The high temperature at DIA reached 101.
The tournament’s director Susan Nakano says there had been no issues with the players and heat. Organizers made sure that there were plenty of water jugs and ice available on the courts.
“A lot of people bring their own ice water and all the various Gatorades, electrolytes and towels around their neck,” Nankano said. “And they are taking longer breaks between games. But it gets done and no one's really complained. But no one has felt sick, which is great.”
The National Weather Service Office in Boulder issued a heat advisory in effect through 8 pm Sunday along the Front Range. The highest temperatures will range from 100 to 104 degrees.
“Mid-July is typically when we start peaking at the most, the highest amount of heat for that time for any annual year,” NWS Boulder meteorologist Caitlyn Mensch said.
The longest consecutive streak of days with 100-degree weather over the last 100 years in Denver is five. The most recent occurrence was from June 22-26 in 2012. Previously, it happened in 2005 from July 19-23 and 1989 from July 4-8.
Mensch says there will be a gradual decrease in the heat over next week. Showers and thunderstorms are expected mostly in the mountains.
“As we head into Monday, Tuesday, and even into Wednesday, we'll start to see a little bit more mid-level moisture move in. Although it won't be as sharp as a very intense, aggressive cold front that comes through,” said Mensch.
Temperatures are expected to fall into the mid-90s by Tuesday and into the high 80s later in the week.
