No More 90 Degree Heat?

Fall is a Beautiful Time of Year ! 

Washingtonians longing for sustained cooler weather should be happy that a very symbolic date has arrived in the Nation’s Capital.  October 11 is the latest that it’s ever been 90 degrees or hotter in Washington, D.C.  This date’s record high was set in 1919 when it reached 90 degrees.  

The length of daylight and the angle of sunlight both decrease throughout the month of October, so it stands to reason that average highs also decrease throughout the month.  By Halloween, the average high temperature in the Nation’s Capital is only 64 degrees.  That’s down from an average high of 74 degrees on October 1.

However, those not ready for the chill of late autumn can also find summer-like warmth on occasion during the first half of October.  As recently as 2007, there was an October heat wave with three consecutive days of temperatures in the 90s ending October 9.  According to the National Weather Service, the last time it was at least 90 degrees in October in the Nation’s Capital was on October 6, 2013 when it was 91 degrees.

October can feature a variety of weather in the Mid-Atlantic Region, from the remnants of Hurricane Opal came through in 1995, to the severe weather of October 2011 when weak tornadoes touched down in Virginia, to the summer-like heat of 2007.  Winter-like weather can even occur in October as well.  For example, on October 29, 2011, the high temperature at National Airport was only 42 degrees (which is more characteristic of mid-January), and a trace of snow fell.  

No 90 degree heat has occurred in the Nation’s Capital in more than a month, since it was 94 degrees on September 9.  Now that the symbolic date of October 11 has arrived, those looking forward to cooler weather can enjoy the fact that no more 90 degree heat is likely in the Mid-Atlantic Region until next year.