Severe weather can strike in June

 

June 19, 2025 severe weather reports (Source: NOAA)

The DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia) often sees a significant amount of severe weather in June. NOAA defines “severe weather” as a thunderstorm that contains any of the following: hail 1”/+ in diameter; wind gusts of at least 58 mph; or a tornado.

2025: A significant severe weather outbreak occurred in the DMV last June 18 – 19.  There was an EF-0 tornado in Odenton, Maryland on June 18, with two more weak tornadoes on June 19. Multiple severe wind gusts were reported, especially on June 19, with lots of tree damage. A wind gust of 75 mph was reported during a severe storm at Dulles Airport on June 19 with another 71 mph wind gusts near Reston, Virginia.

2024: June 5 was a particularly active severe weather day across the DMV. A total of 13 confirmed tornadoes developed with the majority in central Maryland. They ranged in intensity from EF-0 to EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The two longest lasting tornadoes were one that tracked 9.1 miles in Montgomery County, Maryland and another that tracked 15.2 miles. Both were EF-1 intensity and produced widespread damage from falling trees. 

2019: June 2 was another active weather day in the DMV with multiple reports of large hail. Hail as large as 2” in diameter reported in Damascus, Maryland, as well as 1” in diameter hail at the White House. Having widespread large hail in and around the nation’s capital is relatively uncommon compared to other parts of the country.

2013: A total of six EF-0 tornadoes developed on June 13 in the DMV. Although they were all relatively weak, some occurred in heavily traveled parts of Montgomery and Charles Counties in Maryland and caused minor damage. This was also one of the wettest June’s on record in the nation’s capital, with a monthly total of 9.97” of rain at National Airport.

2012: There were three major instances of severe weather in the DMV. The most notorious was the June 29 derecho that caused widespread damage and power outages. There were two other major severe weather outbreaks that month. One occurred on June 1 with 38 tornadoes concentrated in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Of these, Maryland had 10 confirmed tornadoes, with the strongest an EF-1 in Harford County with peak wind speeds of 86-110 mph. 

On June 22, two downbursts produced damaging winds in the towns of Bladensburg and Johnsville in Maryland. A “downburst” is an area of strong winds that occurs when cold air located high in the thunderstorm accelerates as it descends toward the ground. These winds spread out as they reach the ground, where speeds can approach 100 mph – equivalent to the wind speeds in an EF-1 tornado.

The official start to summer

 

A stellar day in suburban Washington, D.C. (Photo Credit: Susan Granzow)

Last month was DC’s first cooler and drier than average May since 2023. Despite May being cooler than average, the three-month period of March, April and May finished as DC’s sixth warmest “meteorological spring.” That was the result of March and April each being significantly warmer than average. The three-month period was also so dry that it ranked as DC’s tenth driest such period.

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center expects June to feature warmer than average temperatures in the nation’s capital with near average rainfall. Daily average high/low temperatures in Washington, D.C. rise from 81°/63° on June 1 to 89°/71° on June 30. D.C.’s hottest June temperature on record is 104° and occurred on June 29, 2012. Meanwhile, DC’s coolest June temperature is 43° and occurred on June 2, 1897. The earliest in the season it’s been 100° in the nation’s capital was on June 5, 1925. 

June is DC’s second wettest month of the year with an average rainfall total of 4.20”, according to NOAA. Three of DC’s wettest June’s on record have occurred in just the last 20 years. DC's rainiest June was in 2006 and second rainiest June in 2015. By comparison, June 2017 was DC’s third driest with only 1.13”. NOAA weather records in the nation’s capital date back to 1871.

DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia) residents have endured a lot of severe weather in June. For example, Maryland’s second strongest tornado occurred on June 2, 1998, when an F4 tornado touched down in Frostburg. DC’s infamous “derecho” occurred on June 29, 2012, and caused widespread wind damage and power outages across the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia). More recently, multiple EF-0 and EF-1 tornadoes struck the DMV on June 5, 2024.

June is also the third hottest month of the year on average in the nation’s capital behind only July and August. However, the first few days of this June will continue to feature below average temperatures and dry conditions across the DMV. Although meteorological summer officially begins on June 1, popular opinion is that summer gets underway on the date of the summer solstice, that’s always on or around June 21.

Weather Quiz

 

The nation's capital

True or False.

It has never been 100° in Washington, D.C. during the month of May.

What makes this spring stand out?

 

Lake Needwood, Montgomery County, Maryland

DC’s cooler than average Memorial Day weekend will help this month finish roughly a full degree cooler than average. That will prevent this spring from ranking higher on the list of DC’s warmest spring’s. The three-month period of March, April and May comprises "meteorological" spring.

Largely due to the frequent clouds and rain this month, only 11 May days have been warmer than average in the nation’s capital. Nevertheless, Washingtonians experienced only the fourth May heat wave – three or more consecutive 90-degree days – of the century. Record heat was observed at all three DC-Area airports from May 18 – May 20.

April 2026 finished tied for DC’s fourth warmest on record. That was despite last month having finished with six consecutive cooler than average days. Record heat occurred on April 4 and April 15. Continuing a recent trend, six of DC's eight warmest April's have happened just since 2010. In addition, March 2026 finished as DC's eighth warmest on record and was more than five degrees warmer than average. 

Despite there being 19 days with rain this month, May will finish with below average rainfall with only 2.83” in the nation's capital. April was also a dry month with only 1.55” of rain. That's less than half of DC's April average of 3.21”. March 2026 also finished as a drier than average month for the fourth time in the last five years.

With a seasonal total of only 6.30” of rain, this spring will not only finish as DC’s driest since 2012, but also rank as the tenth driest on record in the nation’s capital. That's an impressive distinction since NOAA's weather records in the nation's capital date back to 1871.

DC's warmest spring’s (Source: NOAA)

1. 62.2° - 2012
2. 61.0° - 2025
3. 60.7° - 1977
4. 60.6° - 2024
5. 60.5° - 2010
6. 60.2° - 2026
7. 60.1° - 2019
8. 60.0° - 1991
9. 59.5° - 1945
10. 59.3° - 2015, 2004

DC’s driest spring’s (Source: NOAA)

1. 3.47” – 1986
2. 4.15” – 1915
3. 4.51” – 1969
4. 5.08” – 1926
5. 5.36” – 2006
6. 5.71” – 1925, 1879
7. 6.03” – 1911
8. 6.09” – 1885
9. 6.22” – 2012
10. 6.30” – 2026