STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Walmart customer mistakenly enters 999 avocados at self-checkout, causing a $1,300+ bill

• Believing he was being scammed, the man called 911 on the store

• Police arrived and ultimately arrested the customer for refusing to leave

• Incident shared by Walmart employee “Lore-Archivist” on Reddit

• Triggers wider conversation about challenges faced by retail staff at self-checkouts

• Employees share experiences of aggressive customer behavior and unfair blame

Summer has always made a dramatic entrance in the nation’s capital, usually announcing itself with a sweltering blast of heat by mid-May. Yet this year, Washingtonians are still waiting for that signature jolt of warm air. As of June 11, the thermometer has yet to crack 90 degrees—a temperature threshold that typically signals summer has officially arrived.

According to records from Reagan National Airport, the official weather reporting site for the D.C. area, this kind of delay is not the norm. In fact, meteorological history stretching all the way back to 1871 places the average date for the first 90-degree day at around May 18. This means Washington is currently running more than three weeks behind schedule—and counting.

It’s not just a matter of heat lovers feeling shortchanged. This cooler-than-usual stretch is more than a seasonal footnote—it’s a statistical anomaly that hasn’t been seen in years. The last time D.C. went this deep into June without recording a single 90-degree day was back in 2003. That year, the milestone wasn’t reached until June 24, and 2025 is inching dangerously close to matching—or even exceeding—that timeline.

Last year, D.C. briefly flirted with the 90s in late August, marking a short-lived heatwave that quickly faded. Since then, the city has experienced a series of mild temperature patterns, especially this past May, which was not only cooler but also wetter than average. These conditions have conspired to keep summer’s typical blaze at bay.

However, forecasts indicate a potential shift in the coming days. Meteorologists suggest that Thursday could finally bring the city’s long-awaited first 90-degree day of the year. The forecast high is right on the cusp—exactly 90 degrees. Friday holds similar potential, though the presence of additional cloud cover and scattered showers might suppress temperatures in some neighborhoods, preventing them from hitting the mark.

Still, nothing is guaranteed. Weather models hint that if this week’s heat fails to materialize, the city may find itself stuck in a mild pattern for yet another week—or possibly longer. That would push the timeline into rare territory. Only a handful of years have made it this far into the calendar without registering a 90-degree reading. Should this continue, 2025 could find itself in the top five latest first-90-degree-day years on record.

For context, the latest D.C. has ever had to wait was July 12, back in 1979. That year stands alone in the record books as the most delayed start to heat season in over a century of weather observations.

While many residents may be enjoying the extended break from oppressive humidity, others are growing curious—and even slightly nostalgic—for the kind of summer heat that defines life in the capital. Whether it’s sunbaked sidewalks, sweltering commutes, or the hum of AC units in overdrive, the unmistakable signs of D.C. summer have been conspicuously absent.

With eyes on the forecast and memories of past heatwaves in mind, locals now wonder: will summer come rushing in with a vengeance, or continue teasing the city with hesitant warmth?