DC’s record June heat

 

A warm day in the nation's capital

Residents of the nation’s capital experienced a record high of 100° on June 12. That was only the second day of triple-digit June heat in the nation’s capital over the last decade. While that was impressive, this intense heat will be short-lived and doesn’t compare to some of DC’s longer June heat waves over the last 30 years. A "heat wave" is loosely defined as a minimum of three consecutive days of 90° heat or greater.

2024: This finished as DC’s second warmest June behind only June 2010. Washingtonians experienced the first triple-digit June heat since 2012 on June 22. The longest heat wave of this hot month was an 11-day stretch from June 17 – June 27. Four of those days had highs of at least 95°.

2010:  The signature weather event of DC's warmest June on record was an 11-day heat wave from June 19 - 29. Seven of those 11 days had high temperatures of at least 95°, including a record high of 100° on June 24. That was also DC’s first instance of triple-digit June heat since 1997. 

While more than a decade had passed since the last time Washingtonians experienced triple-digit June heat, June 2010 was the first of three consecutive June’s with 100-degree heat. This June finished with 18 days of 90-degree heat compared to DC's June average of between seven and eight such days.

1997: Unlike June 2010, the first 17 days of June in 1997 were cooler than average in the nation's capital. That includes a June 3 record cool high of 58°, which is DC's average high on March 20. However, a major shift in the weather pattern occurred during the second half of the month. That led to a nine-day heat wave from June 20 – 28. The hottest day was June 25 that featured a record high of 100°.

Although nine of the final 13 days of this June were warmer than average, it still finished 3.2° cooler than average in the nation's capital. That helps underscore how a heat wave, irrespective of how long or hot it may be, isn't always enough to offset unusually cool weather over the course of an entire month.

DC's warmest June's (Source: NOAA)

1. 80.6° (2010)
2. 79.7° (2024)
3. 79.4° (1994)
4. 79.2° (1943)
5. 78.8° (2011)
6. 78.7° (1981)
7. 78.1° (2015)
8. 77.9° (2008)
9. 77.6° (1976)
10. 77.4° (1925)

Average: 76.3°