Summer 2020 Wrap

This summer has featured plenty of memorable weather in the Nation's Capital.  It’s been another warmer than average summer that didn't see any triple-digit heat.  While June was relatively benign, July and August were each quite hot and wet in the DC Metro Area.

August is ending on a rainy note today with a chance DC could climb into the Top 10 for wettest August's.  As of August 30, the Nation's Capital had 8.33" of rain and needs to get to 8.92" to tie 2011 for tenth wettest August.  Although today will be DC's seventeenth August day with measurable rainfall, more than half of this month's rain has occurred on just three days that saw a combined 4.97" (August 4, August 16 and August 28).  

Hurricane Isaias had impacts in the DC Metro Area after making landfall in North Carolina on August 3.  Meanwhile, the remnants of Laura made themselves felt late in the month.  Despite all the rain, this month will finish roughly 1.5° warmer than average.  In fact, five of the last six August’s have been warmer than average in the Nation’s Capital.

The first cooler than average day of July 2020 didn't occur until July 31.  Last month finished as DC's second hottest on record, just 0.1° behind 2012.  Although it was so hot in the Nation's Capital last month, there wasn't any triple-digit heat.

Rather, last month was consistently hot with a new DC record for most 90° days (28) to occur in any month.  Low temperatures didn't fall below 70° once in July.  While DC's hottest July 2020 temperature was 99°, Baltimore got to 100° (twice).  DC had 6.51" of rain last month (2.78" above average), with a daily record of 2.04" on July 7.

June 2020 finished with a monthly average temperature (combining daily high and low temperatures) of 77°, making it DC's warmest June since 2017.  There were nine days with highs in the 90s, with the hottest temperature being 93° on June 3 and June 27.  By comparison, DC's coolest June temperature was 54° on June 1.  It was DC's eleventh consecutive warmer than average June.  Washingtonians saw 3.51" of rain in June (0.27" below average).

If July and August have felt especially dreary in the Nation's Capital, that's because there has been a lot of rain.  There is a surplus of more than 8” since July 1.  Including today, there have been 29 days with measurable rainfall in the Nation’s Capital since July 1.  NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center expects September to be warmer than average in the DC Metro Area with near average rainfall.