Summer is Half Over: Taking Stock

The Mid-Atlantic Region is quite green amid ample rainfall (July 2015)

The last six weeks have been significantly wetter and warmer than average in the Nation’s Capital.  With the exception of a nearly two-week stretch in late June and early July when temperatures remained below 90 degrees, the weather has been quite warm.  Although no record highs have been set at National Airport, there has been a prodigious amount of rainfall that’s approaching record territory in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

June 2015 was the second wettest on record in Washington, D.C., and the wettest on record in Baltimore, MD when 13.09” of rain fell.  Measureable rainfall fell at National Airport on 18 days last month and the 7.44” that occurred at Dulles Airport in June 2015 made it their wettest June since 2006.  Meteorological summer runs from June 1 through August 31.

Not only has there been above average rainfall during the last six weeks, but much of that rainfall has occurred in thunderstorms.  There have been several days since June 1 that severe weather occurred in the Mid-Atlantic Region.  In fact, two weak tornadoes touched down in southern Maryland on June 27 and caused minor damage.  This dramatic shift in weather from being warmer and drier than average in April and May to being warmer and significantly wetter than average since then, has had both positive and negative repercussions.  The good news is that area gardens are thriving and local reservoirs are in good shape.  The bad news is that localized flooding has occurred and areas that had severe weather saw property damage.

The National Weather Service reports that 15.4” of rain has fallen in the Nation’s Capital since June 1.  Their records also indicate that Los Angeles, California, has seen only 14.53” of rain since January 1, 2013.  So, Washingtonians have had more rain during the last six weeks than Los Angeles has had in the last two and a half years.

Although Washington, D.C. averages 3.73” of rain during the month of July, 3.46” has already occurred during the first 11 days of the month.  With more rain expected at times this week, it will be interesting to see just how wet this month ends up being.  The wettest July on record in the Washington, D.C., was in 1945 when 11.06” of rain fell.