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Summer 2016 weather recap: Breaking down the stats

Summer 2016 was a hot one. A man pour water over his head on July, 24, 2016. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
The hottest high temperature was 101, set on Aug. 13. That day also tied for the highest low, at 81, with July 25, July 27 and Aug. 12. It was also the first of three days in a row where temperatures topped 100. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
Sunrise silhouettes the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial in Arlington, Va. on a cloudless summer morning in the Nation's Capital area Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2016. (AP Photo/J. David Ake)
There were eight heat waves (defined as three days in a row in which the high temperatures go over 90) in the summer of 2016. One of them was already underway when the summer solstice happened on June 20. (AP Photo/J. David Ake)
It was a cloudy, rainy Fourth of July, and while the ehat is what sticks out about summer 2016, the temperature only got to 74 degrees this day -- tied with July 3 for the lowest high temperature of summer. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
It was a cloudy, rainy Fourth of July, and while the heat is what sticks out about summer 2016, the temperature only got to 74 degrees this day — tied with July 3 for the lowest high temperature of summer. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Lightning lights up the sky in Northwest D.C. over Friendship Heights. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
Lightning lights up the sky in Northwest D.C. over Friendship Heights July 19. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
July 19 was a wild weather day: These hailstones (note the coins for size) fell on Friendship Heights. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
July 19 was a wild weather day: Friendship Heights was just one of the areas pelted by hail. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
Hailstones (note the size) fell on Friendship Heights and all over the area. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
Hailstones (note the coins for size) fell on Friendship Heights, and all over the area, July 19. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
Trees were downed on the Mall in the July 19 storm. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
Trees were downed on the Mall in the July 19 storm. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
Aug. 15 was the wettest day of summer with 1.15 inches of rainfall. A look at the skies over the Deal Middle School, in the District, and that’s not a surprise. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
The final week of summer featured high temperatures about 5 to 10 degrees above average. Clouds from former tropical storm Julia moved over Washington on Monday and lead to a dramatic sunset on Monday, September 19 -- the final sunset of summer. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
The final week of summer featured high temperatures about 5 to 10 degrees above average. Clouds from former tropical storm Julia moved over Washington on Monday and lead to a dramatic sunset on Monday, September 19 — the final sunset of summer. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
Summer's final sunset was a stunner. This photo was taken on Wednesday from West Potomac Park facing Arlington. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
Summer’s final sunset was a stunner. This photo was taken on Wednesday from West Potomac Park facing Arlington. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
Summer gave way to autumn on Thursday shortly before noon. The sun sets in the due west on the Equinox. From East Capitol Street, the sun appeared to set directly behind the Capitol dome. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
Summer gave way to autumn on Thursday shortly before noon. The sun sets in the due west on the Equinox. From East Capitol Street, the sun appeared to set directly behind the Capitol dome. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
Tropical Storm Hermine passed off the coast late in the season, and while it didn't really soak us, we got at least one spectacular sunset. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
Tropical Storm Hermine passed off the coast late in the season, and while it didn’t really soak us, we got at least one spectacular sunset. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
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Summer 2016 was a hot one. A man pour water over his head on July, 24, 2016. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
Sunrise silhouettes the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial in Arlington, Va. on a cloudless summer morning in the Nation's Capital area Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2016. (AP Photo/J. David Ake)
It was a cloudy, rainy Fourth of July, and while the ehat is what sticks out about summer 2016, the temperature only got to 74 degrees this day -- tied with July 3 for the lowest high temperature of summer. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Lightning lights up the sky in Northwest D.C. over Friendship Heights. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
July 19 was a wild weather day: These hailstones (note the coins for size) fell on Friendship Heights. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
Hailstones (note the size) fell on Friendship Heights and all over the area. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
Trees were downed on the Mall in the July 19 storm. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
The final week of summer featured high temperatures about 5 to 10 degrees above average. Clouds from former tropical storm Julia moved over Washington on Monday and lead to a dramatic sunset on Monday, September 19 -- the final sunset of summer. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
Summer's final sunset was a stunner. This photo was taken on Wednesday from West Potomac Park facing Arlington. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
Summer gave way to autumn on Thursday shortly before noon. The sun sets in the due west on the Equinox. From East Capitol Street, the sun appeared to set directly behind the Capitol dome. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)
Tropical Storm Hermine passed off the coast late in the season, and while it didn't really soak us, we got at least one spectacular sunset. (海角精品黑料/Dave Dildine)

WASHINGTON — Summer 2016 began on June 20 at 6:24 p.m. EDT and ended Sept. 22 at 10:21 a.m. EDT. By any measure, it was a hot season, with several long heat waves and even record-challenging high temperatures within those heat waves.

D.C.聽reached 100 degrees on July 25 — the first time it has been that hot since July 26, 2012, and that was one of four times the high for D.C.聽was 100 or above.

The National Weather Service issued Heat Advisories for the D.C. metro area three times in July, then four more times in August; two comparatively rare Excessive Heat Warnings were issued in August, as it wasn鈥檛 just very hot, but also exceptionally humid.

There were a few severe weather outbreaks, but not a lot of precipitation in the overall area — especially not at the official measuring spot: Reagan National Airport.

Luckily, there was just enough rain, and the groundwater levels did well enough from the winter鈥檚 storms, that we were able to avoid official drought conditions. But September has been dry, and we are definitely starting out fall with a need for some good, soaking rain throughout the entire area.

Matt Ritter

A native of the District, 海角精品黑料 meteorologist Matt Ritter caught the weather bug early.

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