DC’s volatile December weather

 

A snowy December day (Photo Credit: Paul Laudicina)

The nation’s capital averages 1.7” of snow in December, but measurable snowfall has occurred in only 13 of the last 24 years – including last year.

December 2009 was the snowiest on record in Washington, D.C. (16.6”). Longtime Washingtonians may remember the record December 18-19 snow that year which remains one of DC’s 10 largest snowstorms.

DC residents have experienced seven of the 10 warmest December’s on record since 2011, including the warmest in 2015. December 2015 finished with a total of 14 days with high temperatures in the 60s and 70s, while low temperatures only fell at or below freezing twice with no snow.

However, this December has gotten off to a colder than average start. That doesn’t necessarily mean the rest of the winter will be colder than average. Area residents may recall that following DC’s warmest December in 2015, DC’s fourth largest snow storm occurred in January 2016. At the opposite end of the spectrum was December 1989, which finished nearly 12° colder than average. In addition, 1989 remains DC’s only year that had snow on the ground on both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Meanwhile, the rest of the 1989-1990 winter was warmer than average with below average snowfall. 

The right elements have to come together only once to bring Washingtonians a classic winter storm capable of producing the seasonal average of snow in just one event (13.7”). For example, a sufficiently cold air mass combined with the appropriate storm track close to the East Coast could bring the requisite moisture to the DC Metro that could result in a winter wonderland.

December is the second of five consecutive months with an average of at least 0.1” of accumulating snowfall in the nation’s capital. However, Washingtonians haven’t had a snowier than average December since 2017 or a “white Christmas” since 2009.

A white Christmas in the nation’s capital?

 

December 2017 snowfall, Germantown, MD (Photo Credit: Susan Granzow)

Although Washington, D.C. averages 1.7” of December snowfall, longtime Washingtonians know just how rare snow on Christmas Day is. Areas farther north and west of the immediate D.C. Metro Area have considerably higher odds of seeing a white Christmas.  The National Weather Service officially defines a “White Christmas” as “…at least 1 inch of snow being on the ground at 7 a.m. on December 25.”

The last time Washingtonians had snow on the ground on Christmas Day was in 2009. That’s because the nation’s capital had its largest December snowfall on record the week before. A total of 16.4” was measured at National Airport on December 18-19, 2009. Although more than half had melted by Christmas Day, 7” remained on the ground, creating D.C.’s last official White Christmas.

On the other hand, it has actually snowed on Christmas Day only nine times since 1884. The last time was on December 25, 2002, with 0.2”. More recently, snow flurries occurred in the nation’s capital on December 25, 2020, but that didn’t meet NOAA’s official definition of a “White Christmas.”

Rainfall is more common on Christmas Day. D.C. residents have had measurable precipitation of any kind on December 25 a total of 55 times, dating back to 1871. The most recent Christmas in the nation’s capital with measurable rainfall was in 2021 with 0.07”.

D.C.’s average high and low temperatures on Christmas Day are 47°/33°. The coldest Christmas Day in Washington, D.C. occurred in 1983 with high/low temperatures of 14°/3°. The last time temperatures remained below freezing on Christmas was in 2000 when the high temperature was only 28°. 

By comparison, D.C.’s warmest Christmas on record was in 1964 (72°). More recently, D.C. residents had a high temperature of 68° on December 25, 2021, which tied with 1932 for fourth warmest Christmas. Last Christmas was also mild with a high/low of 61°/40° at National Airport. Two of the last three December’s have ranked among the Top 5 warmest on record in the nation’s capital.

Washington, D.C.’s largest Christmas Day snowfalls (Source: NOAA)

1. 5.4” (1962)
2. 4.5” (1909)
3. 4.3” (1969)
4. 1.0” (1902)
5. 0.6” (1935)

Washington, D.C.’s highest Christmas Day temperatures (Source: NOAA)

1. 72° (1964)
2. 70° (1982)
3. 69° (2015, 1965)
4. 68° (2021, 1932)
5. 65° (1893, 1889)

Washington, D.C.’s coldest Christmas Day temperatures (Source: NOAA)

1. 3° (1983)
2. 5° (1872)
3. 11° (1989)
4. 12° (1980)
5. 13° (1906)

Weather Quiz

 

A December day in the nation's capital

When was the last time high temperatures in the nation’s capital remained below freezing on Christmas Day?

A.  2010

B.  2005

C.  2000

D.  1995