<P> Spring and fall are mild to 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 . 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 . The combination of heat and humidity in the summer brings very frequent thunderstorms, some of which occasionally produce tornadoes in the area . </P> <P> 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 East Coast . From January 27 to 28, 1922, the city officially received 28 inches (71 cm) of snowfall, the largest snowstorm since official measurements began in 1885 . According to notes kept at the time, the city received between 30 and 36 inches (76 and 91 cm) from a snowstorm on January 1772 . </P> <P> 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 . 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 the neighborhood of Georgetown . </P> <P> Precipitation occurs throughout the year . </P>

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