Sunday, June 30, 2019

The First Third of Summer Comes to a Close



June 2019 has been a unique weather month in the Nation’s Capital.  It will finish as DC’s thirteenth wetter than average month out of the last 15.  It will also finish as DC’s tenth consecutive warmer than average June.  In fact, this month will end today with high temperatures in the 90s for a sixth consecutive day.

The first half of June was somewhat cool in Washington, D.C. with high temperatures in the 70s on seven days.  That’s compared to only one day that reached 90°.  The second half of June, however, had eight days in the 90s, including today.  This month’s hottest temperature of 96° occurred yesterday.  Although above the June 29 average high of 88°, it was nowhere near the record high for the date of 104°. 

June 29 was also DC’s hottest day since July 16, 2018, when it was 98°.  Today’s high temperatures in the low 90s made for DC’s longest heat wave of the year so far at six days.  Temperatures tomorrow will remain below 90° so the current heat wave will end at six days before 90° heat returns Tuesday.

However, the six-day heat wave is significant since it not only represents DC’s first June heat wave since 2017, but also DC’s longest one since another six-day event in 2015.  The last time Washingtonians experienced a longer June heat wave was an 11-day stretch from June 19 – 29, 2010.  June 2010 was DC’s hottest on record and was the first of three consecutive June’s that triple-digit heat occurred in the Nation’s Capital.  A “heat wave” is a minimum of three consecutive days with high temperatures of at least 90°.

June 2019 finishing more than a degree above average (+1.0° through June 29 with above average temperatures today) is interesting given the frequency of rainfall this month.  It rained on 20 out of 30 days in Washington, D.C., with two exceptionally wet days.  More than an inch of rain occurred on June 13 and June 18, accounting for almost half of June’s 4.27” of rain.  NOAA expects July to be warmer than average with near average rainfall in the DC Metro Area.

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