2012: a year of electrifying weather photos in the Washington, D.C. area

Vivid lightning displays, paltry snowfall, a Derecho, and Superstorm Sandy highlight the photos of 2012. (Ian Livingston and Kevin Ambrose)

Looking back on 2012, there was not much snow to photograph in Washington but the thunderstorms this past year did put on a show. In addition, the derecho of June 29 and Superstorm Sandy were the major weather events to photograph.

I have selected 20 interesting photographs from 2012 that have either appeared on our Capital Weather Gang blog or Flickr group page. Most of the photographs were taken in Washington but a few were shot in Maryland and Virginia. In addition, I included one video from the Derecho at the end of this post. A gallery of the photos can be found here.

Read below for the photos and the video.

A coating of snow at the Stone Bridge in the Manassas Battlefield Park, January 10, 2012. (Kevin Ambrose)

Monticello with a blanket of snow, February 20, 2012. (Kevin Ambrose)

Cherry blossoms burst open very early in the season at the Tidal Basin, March 16, 2012. (Kevin Ambrose)

The Derecho of 2012 produces a massive bolt of lightning that strikes in Washington, June 29, 2012. (Kevin Ambrose)
The weather was good for viewing fireworks over Washington, July 4, 2012. (Kevin Ambrose)
Lightning viewed from Southeast Washington, July 8, 2012. (Meredith Rizzo)
A thunderstorm and wall cloud near Thurmont, Maryland, August 10, 2012. (Ian Livingston)

The sunrise at Dulles Airport, August 31, 2012. (Stephen Little)

Lightning strikes near the Lincoln Memorial, September 1, 2012. (Ian Livingston)

A wide view of Washington with multiple lightning bolts, September 1, 2012. (Brian Allen)

Lightning viewed from the Reflecting Pool, September 1, 2012. (Ian Livingston)

Storm clouds approach the Lincoln Memorial, September 10, 2012. (Ian Livingston)

A fiery sunrise at the Marine Corps Memorial, September 16, 2012. (Kevin Ambrose)

Lightning reflects on the Tidal Basin, Septembe 27, 2012. (Kevin Ambrose)

Colorful fall foliage at Arlington National Cemetery, October 20, 2012. (Kevin Ambrose)

Leaves turn color at Hunting Creek in northern Maryland, October 20, 2012. (Ian Livingston)

A tree is downed by Superstorm Sandy in Chevy Chase, October 30, 2012. (dwalbert)

Flood waters at Great Falls after Sandy, October 31, 2012. (Kevin Ambrose)

A foggy setting at the Reflecting Pool, December 8, 2012. (Navin Sarma)

Canadian geese in snow in Anne Arundel County, December 26, 2012. (FiveAlarmPhotography)

The Derecho at the Jefferson Memorial, June 29, 2012. (Kevin Ambrose)