How Many 90-Degree Days in Northern Virginia This Summer?

In the middle of a string of cloudy, rainy days, it's hard to imagine we're just weeks away from sitting by the pool and soaking in some sun.

Indeed, hot weather will be in the Northern Virginia forecast before you know it. And we'll see more of it this year than is typical, according to the forecasters at AccuWeather.

A typical summer would send us over 90 degrees on 31 days in a season. This year, we should see 46 days.

Last summer was the fifth-warmest on record for the D.C. area, according to the National Weather Service, with 38 days above 90 degrees in 2015. The first heat wave of the year came from June 11-16, 2015, reaching 96 degrees.

The best chance for a string of heat waves will come in June and August, according to AccuWeather forecaster Paul Pastelok.

"July is a tricky month where there may be a few cooldowns from thunderstorms and back door fronts, but other than that I think June, July and August, you'll see your series of heat waves," he said.

This summer will actually continue a trend of hot summers across the nation.

"In fact, the past six summers have been the hottest six-year stretch in the last 120 years and this summer should continue the recent trend," says Weather Channel Chief Meteorologist Todd Crawford.

Need a break from the heat? Head south. Crawford says temperatures should be average across much of the south or just slightly above average.