Washingtonians should brace themselves for potentially the hottest summer since at least 2020, with long stretches of 90-degree weather and the chance to surpass the century mark for the first time since 2016. Factoring in the District’s trademark humidity, expect brutal, sauna-like conditions at times.
Washington, D.C
Why this could be D.C.’s hottest summer in at least several years
The summer will mark a continuation of a very warm start to 2024. Despite closing with some seasonably cool days, May will be the District’s sixth-consecutive warmer-than-normal month. While we haven’t hit 90 degrees since a few weeks ago and the air is delightfully refreshing, summer always prevails as we progress through June.
Although we don’t think it will be a memorably hot summer like those in the brutal stretch from 2010 to 2012 — the three hottest on record — this summer should be noticeably warmer than last year’s, when the number of 90-degree days was actually below normal and the average temperature was 0.8 degrees cooler than the norm.
Recent summers comparable to what we expect this year would be 2020 and 2016, which ranked fifth-hottest and third-hottest in records dating to 1872.
Assuming summer temperatures end up above normal as predicted, it’s worth noting that our “new normal” summer is hotter than it was a few decades ago. In other words, a summer that’s only somewhat warmer than normal in today’s climate would have been historically hot a few decades ago.
The area’s average high from July 6 to 27 is around 90 degrees, whereas it was previously in the upper 80s. Human-caused climate change has boosted average temperatures by over 1 degree in the past 30 years.
When putting together a summer outlook, we’re less likely to see the signals for extreme warmth or cold (relative to average) that we sometimes see in advance of winter. As such, this outlook is of low-to-medium confidence. This kind of seasonal forecasting is experimental, and errors are possible.
This outlook covers the period known as “meteorological” summer — or June 1 through Aug. 31.
Summer outlook by the numbers
June through August average temperature: About 1 degree above the average from 1991 to 2020.
Temperatures compared to average by month:
- June: 1 to 2 degrees above average.
- July: 1 degree above average.
- August: 1 degree above average.
Number of 90-degree days for June, July and August: 40, compared with an average of 34. Note that an additional six days of 90-degree temps occur on average outside June to August.
Longest streak of 90-degree days: 8 to 10 days.
Number of 100-degree days: 1 to 2.
Precipitation: Slightly below-average.
We considered several factors, described below, in preparing this outlook. It should be noted that any one factor doesn’t necessarily correlate with a particular kind of summer (e.g., warm, cool, dry or wet).
We are experiencing a rapidly waning El Niño event, and there’s a strong possibility that a La Niña pattern develops by late in the summer. The presence of either El Niño or La Niña in the tropical Pacific Ocean sometimes makes predicting summer conditions easier, as El Niños can favor cooler summers, while La Niñas favor hotter summers. When conditions are neutral, as we expect this summer, the signal from the Niño regions isn’t as strong.
In addition to El Niño and La Niña, we considered the persistently negative phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and predecessor weather patterns from the spring. These inputs informed the identification of analogues, or years with similar weather patterns, that we used in putting together our outlook.
In this case, the summers of 1998 and 2010 emerged as the best analogues. The weather during those summers was given some loose consideration in our projections for the one that is about to begin.
WASHINGTON – A sunny, dry and mild Tuesday for the Washington, D.C. region, with highs near 71 degrees.
What we know:
The day starts chilly, with temperatures in the 40s and a few upper 30s in the area. Plenty of sunshine with some light winds that will make for a pleasant afternoon. FOX 5’s Taylor Grenda says it’s a good day for outdoor plans, with temperatures climbing into the low 70s by mid‑afternoon. Winds may turn a bit breezy overnight, but conditions will remain cool and dry.
Rain chances return Wednesday as clouds increase. The morning and early afternoon look mostly dry, but the evening commute could turn soggy on Wednesday. Grenda says to expect two rounds of showers tomorrow – one around 5 p.m. and another after sunset – with a slight chance of isolated thunderstorms. The severe weather threat appears to be limited.
Behind the system, Thursday turns cooler and breezy, with highs only in the mid‑60s. Temperatures rebound into the 70s Friday before a warm, more humid stretch arrives over the weekend. Highs could reach the 80s by Saturday and Sunday and the 90s by Monday.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the FOX 5 Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
Washington, D.C
Nonprofit sues the federal government over plans to paint Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool blue
With a blue sky above the Lincoln Memorial, people walk along the reflection pool in Washington, D.C., on June 9, 2023.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
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Jose Luis Magana/AP
A nonprofit is suing the National Park Service, the Department of the Interior and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum over the decision to resurface the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool at Washington D.C.’s National Mall, and to paint the pool’s basin blue.
The suit was filed Monday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF), an education and advocacy organization. In the suit, TCLF is asking a federal judge to halt the project, saying that the Trump administration failed to have the project reviewed federally, as is dictated by the National Historic Preservation Act.
President Trump revealed his plans for the pool do-over last month in “American flag blue,” saying that the project would take one week and $2 million, and that it would be completed in time for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4. A few days later on Truth Social, the president posted a fake image of himself and several of his administration officials in swimsuits, along with an unidentified woman in a gingham bikini, lounging in the water with the Washington National Monument at the rear. (Swimming in the reflecting pool is prohibited by federal law.)
In a YouTube video posted by the White House on April 23, Trump called the pool “filthy dirty” and said it “leaked like a sieve.” In that video, Trump said he was going to call three companies that he has worked with in the past – “all they do is swimming pools” – and say, “Give me a good price.”
The New York Times reported last Friday that the contract for the reflecting pool’s resurfacing was awarded in a $6.9 million no-bid contract to a company called Atlantic Industrial Coatings, which previously has never held any federal contracts.
An employee at the Atlantic Industrial Coatings confirmed in a telephone call on Monday that it has been contracted for this project, but referred all other questions to the Department of the Interior.
The Times reported on Monday that the final cost of the project could be upward of $13 million, per documents it says it has obtained. The Department of the Interior did not confirm the cost of the project, but wrote: “The contract price reflects the effort necessary to expedite the timeline of completing the leak prevention coating project—more people, more materials, more equipment and longer hours ahead of our 250th.”
In an unsigned statement emailed to NPR Monday afternoon, the Interior Department wrote: “The National Park Service chose the best company to expedite the repair of the iconic Reflecting Pool ahead of our 250 celebrations. The choice of American Flag Blue will enhance the visitor experience by making the pool reflect the grand Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument. NPS is also investing in a state-of-the-art ozone nanobubbler filtration system and will now have a dedicated crew who will maintain the grounds’ from wildlife. The Department is proud of the work being carried out by our Park Service to ensure this magical spot can be enjoyed for not only our 250th, but for many generations to come.”
Critics of the project, including TCLF, don’t share that vision – and are taking particular umbrage at the color.
“The reflecting pool should not be viewed in isolation; it is part of the larger ensemble of designed landscapes that comprise the National Mall,” Charles A. Birnbaum, the president and CEO of TCLF, said in a statement emailed to NPR Monday. “The design intent, to create a reflective surface that is subordinate, is fundamental to the solemn and hallowed visual and spatial connection between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. A blue-tinted basin is more appropriate to a resort or theme park.”
The National Park Service regularly cleans out algae, goose droppings and other detritus from the reflecting pool. The last major renovation of the reflecting pool, which included the installation of a new circulation and filtration system, took place during the Obama administration at a reported cost of $34 million.
Before founding TCLF in 2008, Birnbaum served for 15 years as the coordinator of the Historic Landscape Initiative for the National Park Service.
TCLF has another open lawsuit against the federal administration: it is one of eight cultural and architecture groups currently suing President Trump and the Kennedy Center board over the planned renovations of the complex, which are planned to start in July.
The memorial service will be held at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial at 1 p.m.
WASHINGTON D.C. – A brave K-9 hero from the region will be honored at the Annual National Police K9 Memorial Service on Monday afternoon.
K-9 Knox died in the line of duty last year after he was accidentally hit by a police vehicle while pursuing a suspect involved in a stolen vehicle incident. He was a 3-year-old German shepherd and had served as a narcotics detection and patrol apprehension K-9 for the Roanoke Police Department since May 2023.
The memorial service will include a wreath-laying ceremony and will be held at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., at 1 p.m. The event will open with a musical performance by Frank Ray, and the guest speaker will be Deputy Jared Hahn of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit.
The San Antonio Police Department Blue Line Choir will sing the national anthem, and the Emerald Society Pipes & Drums band will also perform.
Copyright 2026 by WSLS 10 – All rights reserved.
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