More Like Winter

NOAA's Temperature Outlook through mid-January

Less than a week into 2016, winter’s chill has made its first significant appearance of the season in the Nation’s Capital.  Following the warmest December on record in Washington, D.C. – and many eastern cities – this arctic blast feels especially frigid.  From November 1 through December 31, 2015, temperatures only reached the freezing mark three times in the Nation’s Capital with the coldest temperature during that time being 30 degrees on December 19.  However, that streak came to abrupt end yesterday when the high and low temperatures at National Airport were a frigid 38 and 21 degrees respectively. 

The last time the high temperatures held below 40 degrees in Washington, D.C., was on March 6, 2015 when it was only 30 degrees.  This morning’s low temperature of 16 in the Nation’s Capital was the coldest observed temperature downtown since it was 15 degrees – also on March 6, 2015.  According to the National Weather Service, you have to go back to last winter to find the last time there were consecutive days where high temperatures remained in the 30s in the Nation’s Capital (February 26 – March 1, 2015). 

The weather pattern so far this winter has been similar to last winter.  Some may recall that December 2014 was warmer than average in the Nation’s Capital while January 2015 also got off to a mild start.  However, by coincidence, almost a year ago to the day, the weather pattern changed and an “Alberta Clipper” brought Washingtonians their first measureable snowfall of the 2014-2015 winter season – as well as the coldest weather of the season to that point.  On January 6, 2015 a total of 2.4” of snow fell at National Airport – where the high temperature was also only 32 degrees.  That was the first of three consecutive days that temperatures remained at or below freezing in the Nation’s Capital. 

It's important to put today’s cold weather into perspective.  Although today’s high temperature was 34 degrees in the Nation’s Capital, the average high for January 5 is 43 degrees.  However, on the opposite end of the spectrum is today’s record high of 71 degrees that was set on this date in 1997.  By comparison, it was 71 degrees twice last month at National Airport.  There also hasn’t been any snow to speak of so far this winter in the Nation’s Capital – while North Carolina’s Outer Banks experienced rare “ocean effect” snow this morning.

Although Mid-Atlantic residents are currently experiencing their coldest weather since last winter, this week’s cold weather hasn’t broken any records and will be relatively short-lived.  After another night of frigid temperatures tonight, temperatures will begin to moderate tomorrow.  My colleagues and I on the WUSA9 weather team will keep you apprised of the latest weather forecasts.

This post was filed from Santiago, Chile, where I've been researching some weather and climate issues that will be the subject of an upcoming column.