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City's hot streak to slip a bit

Water park makes splash as temp hits record-busting 99

Published August 14, 2007 at midnight

No more records this week? That's small consolation for those who are tired of the heat.

CBS 4's Ed Greene is calling for a slight cooldown from yesterday's 99-degree record-buster — a chart-topper that found 8-year-old Everett Robinson's teeth chattering.

Everett endured the heat by hanging out on the Shipwreck Falls bridge at Elitch Gardens, waiting for the infamous backsplash to cool him off.

It worked.

His mom, 52-year-old Jeanine Robinson, came tearing off the ride to avoid the same fate.

"Because of my age, I have to have really really hot weather so if I get wet, I can stay somewhat warm so I don't freeze," she said.

Robinson brought her son up from Santa Fe for their first visit to Elitch's as temperatures rose to 1 degree shy of triple digits.

The 99 degrees was measured at DIA at 12:52 p.m., Greene said. The previous high was 96 degrees in 1996. It's the sixth time Denver highs have tied or broken records this summer.

"Through Aug. 12, it's only about 21/2 degrees above normal in the month, so that's not really significant," said meteorologist Robert Koopmeiners, of the National Weather Service. "It's warm, but it's no big deal yet. ... It definitely would fit under the category of being above normal."

The forecast calls for more hot weather, although Greene isn't predicting any scorchers.

"Chances are we probably won't break a whole lot more records this week," Greene said. "We have a big ridge of high pressure that is just sitting there. That's allowing a hot air mass to just continue to reheat."

He predicted the ridge will shift and allow for showers to move into the area before Friday.

In the meantime, Ed is calling for "cooler" temperatures in the mid-90s through Saturday.

That's relatively good news for Scott Thomas, 20, who was working security Monday at Elitch's.

Donning shiny black lace-up shoes, navy blue pants and a crisp button-up shirt, Thomas was dawdling beneath water misters near the arcade and enjoying the sweet relief.

"The white shirt's all right," he said. "If I'm standing out in the sun my feet get really hot because I'm wearing the black shoes, so I can really feel it down there. And the pants. My legs will start sweating. ... I have to walk around all day. I'll catch about five, 10 minutes under these misters whenever I can. And it's kind of shaded."

Thomas said one of the torturous parts of his job is watching patrons enjoying the water park.

"Sometimes when I'm up there in the water park, it's so hot," he said. "There's no shade, and you know, I get jealous of the people swimming in there."

Thomas said that the park's asphalt can bump temperatures up 10 degrees, increasing the risk of heat exhaustion. Park visitors should find shade, drink water and eat something if they start to feel sick, he said.

Just down the asphalt, Rick Lamar found a slightly wetter way to cool off.

His denim shorts and T-shirt were soaked from getting splashed for three ride cycles on the Shipwreck Falls bridge.

"It's blazing. This is great," Lamar said as the ride turned a corner to begin its descent.

Lamar came from Colorado Springs with his wife, their 13- year-old daughter and seven of her friends to celebrate her birthday.

"This is better than air conditioning," he said. "It's the best way to beat the heat."

Staff writer John C. Ensslin contributed to this report.

Denver's hottest temperatures of all time

105 degrees on July 20, 2005, and Aug. 8, 1878

104 degrees on July 21, 2005, and June 26, 1994

103 degrees on July 16, 2006; July 8, 1989; and July 6, 1973Source: National Weather Service

Staff writer John C. Ensslin contributed to this report. or 303-954-5618

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