Washington DC – Washington, D.C. is bracing for a heat wave next week that could push temperatures above 100°F during the run-up to the Fourth of July—potentially setting up the hottest Independence Day the capital has seen since 1871.
For days, the forecast has sounded like a countdown: next week, Washington, D.C. could bake through a stretch of near-record heat just in time for the Fourth of July crowds.
Temperatures are expected to climb above 100°F for the capital’s Independence Day celebrations. Forecasters say the city could endure four straight days of 99-degree weather, including two days above 100 degrees before Saturday’s holiday.
On July Fourth itself, AccuWeather expects a high of 99°F, with a feels-like temperature of 109°F.
The question hanging over the city isn’t just how hot it will be. It’s whether this will be the hottest Fourth of July Washington, D.C. has ever recorded.
The National Weather Service maintains data dating back to 1871, and that history includes one standout day. In 1919, Washington recorded the hottest July 4th ever, reaching a maximum temperature of 100°F.
By comparison. several other Fourth of Julys have come in at 99°F. including the most recent years when the temperature hit 99 degrees—2012 and 2002. With Saturday’s forecasted high of 99°F. the holiday may not surpass 1919’s record high. but it could still land among the warmest Independence Days in the capital’s history.
Recent Fourth of Julys already point to how unusual this stretch is. Since 1871, the average high for July Fourth in Washington, D.C. is 86.7°F, according to the National Weather Service.
But the warming trend becomes clearer once you look at the last several years. Since 2017, the average maximum temperature on the Fourth has been 90.8°F. That includes 2020, when temperatures reached 94°F.
And in 2025, the Fourth was still notably hot, peaking at 87°F.
The contrast between the longer-term average high of 86.7°F and the newer. consistently higher numbers since 2017 makes the coming forecast feel more urgent. If Washington stays near 99°F for multiple days and pushes above 100°F twice before the holiday. it would mark an escalation from what many residents have come to expect—even as the city’s record temperature sits at 100°F.
With next week’s heat poised to linger, public guidance is centered on basic survival steps: stay hydrated, check the reliability of air conditioning, and use free cooling centers.
The forecast suggests Washington won’t just be spending the Fourth outdoors—it will be living through it, heat and all, from the days leading up to the fireworks.
Washington DC heat wave Fourth of July forecast 100°F temperatures National Weather Service AccuWeather Independence Day heat cooling centers record warm July 4th