On this date in 1940, a calendar-day record 2.6 inches of rain fell as intense storms swept through the area. “A severe wind struck with violence in Montgomery County (Md.) twisting hundreds of trees off at their bases, ripping down power lines and unroofing buildings,” the front page of The Washington Post reported. “The storm spread havoc also in Fairfax and Arlington counties in Virginia, where streets were flooding, several buildings struck by lightning and power service disrupted.”
And on this date in 2011, the temperature soared to a calendar-day record of 102 degrees, after a low of 84 — tied for the warmest July minimum ever observed. It was the second day in a row to hit 102, “taxing the coping skills of residents and visitors,” The Post wrote. It was one of three days that reached the triple digits that July, which ranked as the third hottest on record.
Here are other notables from this day:
- Average high: 90
- Average low: 73
- Record high: 102 (2011)
- Record low: 56 (1890)
- Record rainfall: 2.6 inches (1940)
