DC's warm start to August

 

Following DC's fourth hottest July, August has gotten off to a similarly hot start with highs near 100° on August 1 and 2. That's fitting since August is the second hottest month of the year in the nation's capital behind only July. 

Average daily high/low temperatures in Washington, D.C. range from 89°/72° on August 1 to 86°/69° on August 31. D.C.’s hottest August temperature on record was 106° on August 6, 1918, which also tied for D.C.’s hottest overall temperature. Meanwhile, the coolest August temperature of 49° has occurred three times, most recently on August 29, 1986. Weather records in the nation's capital date back to 1871.

On rare occasions, August is the warmest month of the summer. There have been four such instances over the last 20 years, most recently in 2018. Triple-digit heat is also less common in August than in July with none since 2016 in the nation's capital.

August is one of the drier months of the year in Washington, D.C. with NOAA’s updated rainfall average of 3.25”. Three of the last 10 August’s were significantly drier than average with less than 2” of rain (2019, 2015, 2013). In an average year, August is wetter than only four other months (January, February, April and November). Unlike August, those months see essentially no rainfall from decaying tropical systems and rainfall from thunderstorms is also less likely. 

August's warm start will continue in the nation's capital as my colleagues and I on the WUSA9 Weather Team expect more 90s during the upcoming week. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center expects this month to be a warmer and wetter than average month for the DMV.