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That doesn't follow. If the hottest temperature ever is 53.5, and the previous record was 52.8, then temperatures that cross 52 degrees don't sound "not uncommon" at all.

For comparison, the highest temperature in Denver history is 105 F (40.6 C). Denver gets 3-5 days above 100 F (37.8 C) in a typical year based on recent history. The total number of 100 degree days in Denver in the last 150 years is 105. The total count at 103 or above is 13. (source: https://www.weather.gov/bou/DenverSummerHeat).