It might feel like summer has been going on forever already given recent weather, but believe it or not, it's still on the earlyish side for days at or above 100.
[Analysis of 100-degree days in Washington, DC]
DC now has four of them. One in June, then the last three days. Saturday's record high of 103 made it a fourth, proper for the Fourth. It beat the old Independence Day record of 100.
To date, 2026 is solidly in the lead for most days at or above 100. Four other years have seen two days through July 4: 1959, 1901, 1898 and 1874.
The lead should be short-lived. In 2012, a string of 100s was around the corner, and by July 8 its count was up to five, the most through the date.
DC averages about a day at or above 100 per year, but mainly they come in chunks during hotter summers, and the city can go several years without. In 2025, there were none. In 2024, there were six.
Thankfully, there are no reliable forecasts of 100 in the near future for us once we get past this spell. Of course, the last time we had them in June and July — 2024 — there were more in August.
