Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1938, Bear Creek flooded between Morrison and Kittredge, killing six people and causing nearly $500,000 in damage.

Meteorological fall began yesterday, but autumn weather is mostly absent from this week’s forecast, as we report in our Top Stories. What’s your favorite time of year in Colorado? Vote in our Poll or hit reply to let us know.

Today’s sponsor, PuriProduce, offers a simple, chemical-free way to help clean your fruits and vegetables, giving you added peace of mind with every meal.

Waymo Launches in Denver

Waymo began offering driverless rides to the Denver public on Tuesday, opening the service to select riders among the tens of thousands who have downloaded the company’s app.

Dozens of cars will cover 60 square miles, stretching beyond city limits into Adams County and the portion of Lakewood that includes Casa Bonita.

The zone takes in LoDo, Coors Field, Ball Arena, Capitol Hill, and Cherry Creek, but the vans will not use freeways or reach Denver International Airport yet.

Rides run around the clock through the app, and the company says its fleet will grow from dozens of vehicles to hundreds as riders grow comfortable with the service.

Aurora Teens Take Over Shopping Center

About 500 young people, most of them between 14 and 17, descended on a shopping center near East 6th Avenue and Peoria Street in Aurora on Sunday afternoon.

Police said a social media callout drew the crowd, which vandalized businesses and stole merchandise before officers declared an unlawful assembly.

Roughly 70 officers responded over several hours as groups pushed into a King Soopers and a nearby Burger King, running through aisles and climbing on tables.

Chief Todd Chamberlain said the department “will not tolerate crowds taking over roadways, disrupting businesses, damaging property, or stealing”

Seasonal Start to September

A ridge of high pressure builds midweek and shuts off the monsoon, pushing Denver near 90 degrees Wednesday and into the low 90s Thursday and Friday.

The Western Slope warms through the week as well, reaching the mid to high 80s in the valleys, with monsoonal moisture likely returning Friday into the weekend.

Looking further out, this year’s El Niño is already strong and still growing, and most models expect it to rank among the strongest ever measured.

Even so, the state climatologist’s office cautions against assuming a big snow year, since the pattern is poorly correlated with peak snowpack and will not peak for months.

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➤ Statewide: Gov. Jared Polis launched the myColorado Mobile Driver License at Denver International Airport, letting travelers scan a QR code at TSA checkpoints nationwide. (More)

➤ Also Statewide: Backers of Proposition 137 kicked off their campaign Monday. The measure would steer roughly $175 million a year in sporting goods sales tax revenue to conservation and wildfire work. (More)

➤ Weld County: Health officials confirmed the county’s first West Nile virus case of 2026, a month later than last year’s first case, even as trapped Culex mosquito numbers sit at a five-year low. (More)

➤ Douglas County: Trains are sounding horns at seven crossings between Castle Rock and Sedalia for the first time in over a decade after federal regulators suspended the county’s quiet zone. (More)

➤ Eastern Colorado: Colorado Parks and Wildlife authorized a public fish salvage at Hugo Ponds ahead of aquatic habitat maintenance that will temporarily drain several of the ponds. (More)

➤ Denver: A member of Mayor Mike Johnston’s security detail drew his gun outside Union Station last week on a man approaching with what turned out to be a plastic knife. No one was hurt. (More)

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➤ Colton Cowser robbed Jake McCarthy of a walk-off homer with a leaping catch above the center field wall, preserving Baltimore’s 2-1 win and stretching the Rockies’ home skid to 10 games. (More)

➤ The Broncos filled out a 17-player practice squad Monday, bringing back several familiar names cut a day earlier, among them Cody Schrader, Lucas Krull, and Michael Bandy. (More)

➤ Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper pleaded not guilty Monday to domestic violence charges stemming from two arrests in June. His jury trial is set to begin Nov. 10. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: US Open | MLB | Soccer

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➤ Tourism contributed a record $29.2 billion to Colorado’s economy in 2025, though a widening legal fight over Colorado River management clouds the outlook for years ahead. (More)

➤ Colorado Ski Country USA’s Ski Passport is back for its 30th season. Sales are open at $76 for four days of skiing at each of 19 member resorts for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade. (More)

➤ Spirit Halloween is back with 39 Colorado pop-up locations this season, including six in Colorado Springs and five in Denver, though some stores won’t open until later this month. (More)

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➤ The new Sonic Glow Water Pick Labor Day Sale is here, making now a great time to upgrade your oral-care routine for less. This easy-to-use water flosser helps remove food and debris from between teeth and along the gumline. Shop the Labor Day savings before this limited-time offer ends. (LEARN MORE)

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➤ Two southern white rhinos will join the Denver Zoo this fall, the first-ever addition of the species in the zoo’s 130-year history. (More)

➤ Bright Nights returns to Four Mile Historic Park for a fourth year with new lantern displays, a riddle-based scavenger hunt, and a silent disco, running Wednesday through Sunday until Nov. 8. (More)

➤ Gov. Jared Polis is taking applications from seventh and eighth graders who want to win the title of Governor for a Day. The contest runs through Sept. 7, with a winner named Sept. 14. (More)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes.

➤ Buying these seven things before you retire could save you thousands, but the clock is ticking. (See List)

➤ Federal officials say a monthlong immigration sweep across New York netted thousands of arrests, including a number of violent criminals. (Hear Details)

➤ A Lake Tahoe swimmer needed nearly 40 stitches after an otter pulled her underwater and wouldn’t let go. (Hear Story)