Recapping this summer’s weather

 

A summer evening at Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.

Despite several very hot days, this summer will conclude with near average seasonal temperatures and below average rainfall. Meteorological summer (June, July and August) ends on August 31.

August has been a relatively quiet weather month in the nation’s capital. The final third of the month has featured plenty of drier and cooler than average weather. Much of this week has felt more like early fall as many area students returned to school.

The hottest August temperature Washingtonians experienced was 94° on two days. Several days also had severe weather across the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia). That helped make this only the second wetter than average August in the nation’s capital during the last five years.

Last month featured some memorable weather in the nation’s capital. Not only did Washingtonians experience the hottest July 4 on record, but the Independence Day holiday was also the third consecutive day of triple-digit heat during an unusually extreme heat wave.

As hot as the first half of July 2026 was, the second half of the month felt more like early fall. The nation’s capital experienced only six warmer than average days between July 16 – July 31. July 2026 was also a drier than average month for the second consecutive year. That’s the longest such streak in more than a decade.

Drought conditions that dominated local weather headlines across the DMV for much of the spring worsened in June. The month was both warmer and drier than average in the nation’s capital. June 12 set a record high of 100°.

Having triple-digit heat in both June and July, but not August, made this the first such summer in the nation’s capital since 2010. This summer’s hottest temperature was 103° on July 4, while the coolest was 55° on June 2. DC’s rainiest day was August 2 with 1.74”.

Although this month will finish as a wetter than average month, it hasn’t been wet enough to offset how dry June and July were. Consequently, this will be DC’s third consecutive drier than average summer. However, it will finish with near average temperatures, despite the combined total of four days of triple-digit heat.

Weather Quiz

 

Hurricane Melissa, October 2025 (Source: NOAA)

True or False. 

The Atlantic Ocean has never gone an entire season during the satellite era without at least one hurricane.

Sweating through late summer

 

A stellar late-summer day in DC

Although no more heat waves are expected this month in the nation’s capital, there have been some memorable late August heat waves. Some have occurred recently.

2024: This was DC’s third hottest summer on record. Record-setting triple-digit heat occurred on August 28. That’s when the high temperature climbed to 101° as part of a four-day heat wave through August 29. A “heat wave” is loosely defined as three or more consecutive days of 90-degree heat. Not only was that a daily record high for Washington, D.C., but was also DC’s first instance of triple-digit heat during the final 10 days of August since 1987.

2018: This was one of the rare summers that August was warmer than July in the nation’s capital. August ended with a notable late-season heat wave with highs in the 90s on five consecutive days (August 27-31). The hottest day was August 29 with a high/low temperature of 94°/79°. While no record highs were set, record high-low temperatures were set on three consecutive days (August 29-August 31). That means the daily low temperature remained unusually warm.

2010: This summer finished as DC’s hottest on record and included four days of triple-digit heat. August 2010 ended with an unusual heat wave that lingered into September. DC’s average daily high/low temperatures were 94.5°/73.3° between August 29 and September 3.

1998: This August was DC’s hottest month of the year for the first time since 1984. Ironically, the hottest weather of the month didn’t occur until the final third of the month. Nine of the final 10 days saw 90-degree heat in the nation’s capital. A record-tying high temperature of 97° occurred on August 25.