July in the Nation's Capital

July thunderstorm in Poolesville, MD  (Source: Ashley Adams)

Today’s temperatures are headed toward a seasonal high in the mid to upper 80s across the Mid-Atlantic Region.  That should bring an unofficial end to this week’s heat wave that saw three consecutive days of high temperatures in the 90s.  In fact, Sunday’s high of 98 degrees was the hottest day in the Nation’s Capital in more than a year, since it was 99 degrees on July 2, 2014.  While Monday’s high of 97 degrees was the second hottest temperature so far this year.

It wasn’t just the Nation’s Capital that saw the hottest weather of the summer earlier this week.  Sunday’s high temperature of 97 degrees in Baltimore was its hottest temperature since July 2013 while New York City was 94 degrees on Monday.  According to the National Weather Service, that was the hottest temperature in Central Park since September 2013. 

This week’s weather has symbolized a rather dramatic shift in the month’s weather pattern across the DC Metro Region.  Washington, D.C. averages 3.73” of rain during the entire month of July, so it was quite unusual that 3.37” of rain occurred during the first nine days of the month.  The weather pattern that made June the second wettest on record in the Nation’s Capital continued into July.  However, only 0.17” of rain has fallen since July 9 because of the influence of an area of high pressure.  That’s what brought the Mid-Atlantic Region the sunny and stellar weather for several days last week.

Washington, D.C. averages 36 days of at least 90 degrees in a given year.  So far in 2015 there have been 25 days of at least 90 degrees in the DC Metro Region.  Rain chances are low and temperatures are expected to be near average into the weekend.  Today’s average high in the Nation’s Capital is 89 degrees.  My colleagues and I on the WUSA9 Weather Team will keep you apprised of the latest weather forecast both on-air and online.