Washington, D. C., formally the District of Columbia

Climate

See also: List of Maryland hurricanes (1980–present) and List of Washington, D.C. tornadoes

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is celebrated around the city each spring.
Washington is in the humid subtropical climate zone (Köppen: Cfa) and exhibits four distinct seasons.^[56] The District is in plant hardiness zone 8a near downtown, and zone 7b elsewhere in the city, indicating a temperate climate.^[57]
Spring and fall are warm, while winter is chilly with annual snowfall averaging 15.5 inches (39 cm). Winter temperatures average around 38 °F (3.3 °C) from mid-December to mid-February.^[58] Summers are hot and humid with a July daily average of 79.8 °F (26.6 °C) and average daily relative humidity around 66%, which can cause moderate personal discomfort.^[58][59] The combination of heat and humidity in the summer brings very frequent thunderstorms, some of which occasionally produce tornadoes in the area.^[60]
Blizzards affect Washington on average once every four to six years. The most violent storms are called "nor'easters", which often affect large sections of the U.S. East Coast.^[61] Hurricanes (or their remnants) occasionally track through the area in late summer and early fall, but are often weak by the time they reach Washington, partly due to the city's inland location.^[62]Flooding of the Potomac River, however, caused by a combination of high tide, storm surge, and runoff, has been known to cause extensive property damage in Georgetown.^[63]
The highest recorded temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 20, 1930, and August 6, 1918,^[64] while the lowest recorded temperature was −15 °F (−26 °C) on February 11, 1899, during the Great Blizzard of 1899.^[58][61] During a typical year, the city averages about 37 days at or above 90 °F (32.2 °C) and 64 nights at or below freezing.^[58]

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