Station elevation is only 22m above mean sea level in a region of slightly rolling terrain. Summers are warm and sometimes humid and the winters are mild. Especially pleasant weather prevails in the spring and autumn. There are no well-defined wet and dry seasons. During the summer, showers are frequent.
Thunderstorms occur on about one of every five days.
Significant temperature differences within the Washington metropolitan area are not unusual. Temperatures are commonly from 5 to 8F warmer at the Washington National airport, due to the heat island effect of the city in the summer and the moderating influence of the Potomac River in winter.