DC’s dry April worsens drought

 

NOAA's three-month precipitation outlook

Despite the chilly and damp final few days of April, this month will still finish as a warmer and drier than average month in the nation’s capital. April will become DC’s ninth drier than average month over the past 12 months. That’s resulted in severe drought conditions across the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia).

The combination of a warmer and drier than average March and April has left the DMV in a difficult position heading into summer. Since 2025 was drier than average in the nation’s capital, this year got underway with a rainfall deficit of 6.26” that carried over from last year. Although the 2025-2026 winter season was DC’s coldest in more than two decades, it was also a drier than average season, so no ground was made up.

March and April will rank among DC’s Top 10 warmest. The combination of continued drier than average weather has led to the expansion of drought conditions across the DMV. That’s not good news for area gardens or farmers who depend on there being adequate rainfall.

However, the drier than average conditions over the last 12 months have been similar to other recent periods of abnormally dry weather in the DMV.  For example, DC experienced drier than average years in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Not since the mid-1980s has the nation’s capital experienced three consecutive drier than average years. Although there have been some wetter than average months over the last few years, they haven’t been enough to offset the predominantly drier than average weather. 

Before the current stretch of abnormally dry weather, the last time the nation’s capital experienced a drier than average period that lasted more than two years was a 32-month period from August 2015 – March 2018. However, as longtime Washingtonians may recall, 2018 finished as DC’s wettest year on record. That illustrates how a hard pivot can occur from drier than average to wetter than average conditions in the nation’s capital.

NOAA’s three-month outlook for May, June and July is for an increased chance of above average rainfall for much of the DMV.  That’s exactly what the nation’s capital needs heading into the summer months.

Driest April’s at Dulles Airport (Source: NOAA)

1. 0.33” (1985)
2. 0.93” (1967)
3. 1.17” (1963)
4. 1.29” (2010, 1968)
6. 1.31” (1976)
7. 1.34” (1969)
8. 1.62” (1978)
9. 1.67” (2026) à as of April 30
10. 1.71” (1994)
11. 1.74” (2024)

Average: 3.47”

Warmest April’s at Dulles Airport (Source: NOAA)

1. 61.0° (2017)
2. 60.3° (2026) à as of April 30
3. 60.1° (1994)
4. 59.3° (2010)
5. 59.1° (2023)
6. 59.0° (2024, 2019)
8. 57.7° (2025)
9. 57.3° (1960)
10. 57.1° (1985)
11. 57.0° (1981)

DC’s bizarre April weather

 

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

April 2026 will finish as one of DC’s Top 10 warmest despite the recent cooler than average weather. Half of DC’s Top 10 warmest April’s occurred in just the last decade. It will also be a drier than average month that’s exacerbated the drought conditions across the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia).

Following a warm start to April with 80-degree highs on three of the first four days, Washingtonians then experienced three consecutive days of below average temperatures from April 7 – 9. That included two days with lows in the 30s. There have been only five cooler than average days in the nation’s capital since April 9, including on April 21. That’s when DC had a low of 36°, while a record low of 27° occurred at Dulles Airport. The subfreezing temperatures across much of the DMV last week caused a lot of damage to the grape vines at some of the area wineries. 

Although temperatures will remain at or below average the rest of the month, there have already been 11 days high temperatures reached the 80s. That includes two days of 90-degree heat in Washington, D.C. Both are impressive weather benchmarks since the nation’s capital hadn’t experienced any 90-degree April heat since 2017. Washingtonians have averaged between only three and four days of 80-degree April warmth over the last 30 years, according to NOAA data.

While the nation’s capital will see additional rainfall later this week, it won’t be enough for April 2026 to finish with average rainfall. The nation’s capital averages 3.2l” of April rainfall.

Warmest April’s in Washington, D.C. (Source: NOAA)

1. 63.8° (2017)
2. 62.7° (2026) à as of April 26
3. 62.4° (2019)
4. 62.1° (2023, 1981)
6. 62.0° (1994)
7. 61.7° (2025)
8. 61.6° (1985)
9. 61.2° (1960)
10. 60.9° (2010)
11. 60.6° (1941)
12. 60.5° (2024)

Average – 58.2°

Weather Quiz

 

April in suburban Washington, D.C.

True or False.

The nation’s capital has averaged more April days with highs in the 90s over the last 30 years than with lows in the 20s.