It’s no secret that June was a hot one, but the National Weather Service reports that it was the warmest June on record for Colorado Springs.

The city had five consecutive days of record-breaking temperatures — June 22 to 26 — which culminated in the highest temperature ever recorded in the area: 101 degrees on June 26. According to a National Weather Service report, temperatures had reached 100 only four times since 1895.

Until this year, when it happened three more times.

That string of record-setting temperatures weren’t the only remarkable ones in the month.

In fact, Colorado Springs met or broke record high temperatures nine times in June.

The average monthly temperature was 73.2 degrees, 8.2 degrees higher than normal. The previous record was 70.8 degrees, which was set in 2002.

That weather story was similar throughout the south and southeast parts of the state; Pueblo and Alamosa also recorded their warmest-ever Junes with average monthly temperatures of 77 and 64.4 degrees, respectively. That’s 7 degrees above normal for Pueblo and 4.8 above normal for Alamosa.

Denver too recorded its hottest June on record with an average of 75 degrees, 7.6 above normal. Temperatures reached 100 or higher for five consecutive days, June 22 to 26, which has only happened twice before, and the 25th and 26th broke June’s all-time record high of 104 with 105 degree temperatures.

It wasn’t just the heat making June unusual — precipitation was below normal across most of the region, with Colorado Springs marking its 12th driest June on record with only .59 inches of precipitation, 1.91 inches below normal.

The combined conditions led to increased fire danger, and flames broke out across the state throughout June.

A report from the National Weather Service attributes the unusual heat to an area of high pressure that was “anchored over the region” from mid-June on.

Eric Petersen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pueblo, explains that the area of high-pressure diverts weather systems away from the region that might otherwise bring cooler, more moist air. It has moved east in recent days.

“It’s shifted subtly but just enough to give us some relief from the heat and to give us some moisture,” Petersen said.

According to Petersen, while it’s likely to stay hot for the next few months, the long-term forecast calls for normal to above normal precipitation.

“That’s pretty typical for late summer out here,” Petersen said. “It’s thunderstorm season.”

Graphics containing additional information can be found at www.crh.noaa.gov/pub.

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Contact Lauren Fellers: 636-0198.