How Hot Can it Get ?

This is the hottest part of the year in the Nation’s Capital, with the average daily high temperature being 89 degrees from July 7 to the 22.  Fortunately, there are no extreme heat waves on the horizon as temperatures are expected to remain within a few degrees of average for the next several days. 

However, just two years ago Washingtonians endured a record heat wave that began on June 28, 2012.  That was the first day of an 11 day stretch of high temperatures of at least 95 degrees at National Airport.  During this period, an all-time June record high of 104 degrees was set on June 29. 

That was also the day that the damaging complex of thunderstorms known as a “derecho” caused extensive damage and power outages around the Nation’s Capital.  It took the better portion of a week for power to be restored across most of the Mid-Atlantic Region, since the “derecho” took down numerous trees and power lines.  Winds gusted as high as 90 mph in places during these storms – equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane. 

During the record setting 11 day heat wave of 2012, another impressive weather feat occurred with 4 consecutive days of triple digit heat at National Airport from July 5 through July 8, 2012.  In fact, July 2012 was the second hottest July on record, narrowly behind July 2011.  That’s not to say comfortable weather doesn’t occur in July.  For example, on this date in 2009, the high temperature was a very comfortable 81 degrees at National Airport.