What is the hottest day ever recorded in Washington?

Washington's hottest day on record reached 105°F, set on August 17, 1997. That is the single most extreme high in the nearest long-term weather station's full daily record — about 37°F hotter than a typical year's average high of 68°F, which is why a day like it stands out as genuinely rare rather than just a hot afternoon.

What is the record high temperature in Washington?

The all-time record high in Washington is 105°F, recorded on August 17, 1997. Records are drawn from the nearest long-term weather station's full daily history, so this is the hottest single day the station has ever logged — not a typical summer peak.

What is the coldest day ever recorded in Washington?

Washington's coldest day on record bottomed out at -5°F, set on January 17, 1982. Like the record high, it comes from the station's full daily record, so it captures the most extreme cold the area has recorded rather than an average winter low.

What is the record low temperature in Washington?

The all-time record low in Washington is -5°F, recorded on January 17, 1982. The gap between that and the 105°F record high — a span of 110°F — is the full range of temperatures Washington has experienced across its long-term daily record.

Is it normal to be this hot in Washington?

It depends on how far above Washington's normal a given day runs. A typical year here averages a daily high near 68°F; the all-time record of 105°F (set 1997) sits about 37°F above that. When a live reading is available, the live readout just below the record high and low compares it with the temperature typical for that hour this month (estimated from the month's normal high and low), so you can see how unusual the day is rather than guessing.

When did Washington set its temperature records?

Washington's record high of 105°F was set in 1997 (August 17, 1997), and its record low of -5°F in 1982 (January 17, 1982). Both are pulled from the station's full daily record going back to 1941, so they reflect the true extremes rather than a recent or partial sample.

Has Washington been getting hotter?

Yes — Washington's annual mean temperature has trended about 3.3°F warmer since 1942 (+0.40°F per decade, fitted to the complete years of 1942–2025). That gradual shift in the average is separate from the all-time records above, which mark the single most extreme days rather than the trend, but a warming baseline is part of why recent years more often brush up against the record-high end.

Washington, District of Columbia Weather Records

The hottest and coldest days Washington has ever recorded — and how today compares to normal

Washington’s all-time temperature records

Hottest day on record: 105°Fset August 17, 1997
Coldest day on record: -5°Fset January 17, 1982

That is a 110°F span between the hottest and coldest days Washington has ever recorded — the full range of what its weather has done across the station’s record back to 1941.

Washington, DC · Today vs. normal

4°F above typical for 1:30 PM on Sep 20

At 1:30 PM EDT on Sep 20 it was 82°F in Washington — 4° above the 78°F typical for that hour (estimated from the Sep 20 normal high of 79°F and low of 62°F, interpolated from the monthly normals).

How extreme Washington’s weather gets

Washington’s weather is usually mild by its own standards — a typical year averages a daily high near 68°F, and the normal high for September runs about 81°F. The records sit well outside that everyday range. The hottest day on record reached 105°F in 1997 — roughly 37°F above a typical year’s average high, the kind of gap that turns an ordinary summer into a genuine heat event.

At the other end, Washington has bottomed out at -5°F (1982). Those edges are why the today-versus-normal readout above is worth a glance: it shows where today falls between the normal and the record, so a hot afternoon can be judged against the real history rather than a hunch. A reading a few degrees over the September normal is ordinary; one pushing toward the 105°F record is the rare event the record marks.

Frequently asked

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Washington?: Washington's hottest day on record reached 105°F, set on August 17, 1997. That is the single most extreme high in the nearest long-term weather station's full daily record — about 37°F hotter than a typical year's average high of 68°F, which is why a day like it stands out as genuinely rare rather than just a hot afternoon.
What is the record high temperature in Washington?: The all-time record high in Washington is 105°F, recorded on August 17, 1997. Records are drawn from the nearest long-term weather station's full daily history, so this is the hottest single day the station has ever logged — not a typical summer peak.
What is the coldest day ever recorded in Washington?: Washington's coldest day on record bottomed out at -5°F, set on January 17, 1982. Like the record high, it comes from the station's full daily record, so it captures the most extreme cold the area has recorded rather than an average winter low.
What is the record low temperature in Washington?: The all-time record low in Washington is -5°F, recorded on January 17, 1982. The gap between that and the 105°F record high — a span of 110°F — is the full range of temperatures Washington has experienced across its long-term daily record.
Is it normal to be this hot in Washington?: It depends on how far above Washington's normal a given day runs. A typical year here averages a daily high near 68°F; the all-time record of 105°F (set 1997) sits about 37°F above that. When a live reading is available, the live readout just below the record high and low compares it with the temperature typical for that hour this month (estimated from the month's normal high and low), so you can see how unusual the day is rather than guessing.
When did Washington set its temperature records?: Washington's record high of 105°F was set in 1997 (August 17, 1997), and its record low of -5°F in 1982 (January 17, 1982). Both are pulled from the station's full daily record going back to 1941, so they reflect the true extremes rather than a recent or partial sample.
Has Washington been getting hotter?: Yes — Washington's annual mean temperature has trended about 3.3°F warmer since 1942 (+0.40°F per decade, fitted to the complete years of 1942–2025). That gradual shift in the average is separate from the all-time records above, which mark the single most extreme days rather than the trend, but a warming baseline is part of why recent years more often brush up against the record-high end.