On this day in 1995, severe thunderstorms spawned multiple tornadoes in the D.C. area. One tornado tore through Prince George’s County, causing heavy damage. Another twister uprooted trees at the National Arboretum in D.C.
And on this day in 2003, the high temperature was only 55 degrees, a record cool high for the calendar day, and 0.28 inches of rain fell. The day before, the high was only 53, also a record cool high, and there was 0.1 inches of rain.
The pair of cool, wet days was part of a prolonged stretch of abnormally cold and wet weather. Between May 15 and 31, measurable rain fell on all but three days. The 7.06 inches of rain that fell that month ranked as the ninth-wettest May on record, and it was also the 12th-coldest May.
Here are other notables from this day:
- Average high: 77
- Average low: 59
- Record high: 96 (1877)
- Record low: 40 (1973)
- Record rainfall: 1.38 inches (1936)
