Typical January Cold?

January 20, 2009  (Source: whitehouse.gov)

The second half of January is the coldest time of the year based on average temperatures across much of the United States.  Residents of the Mid-Atlantic Region have had plenty of experience with this over the years.  Whether coinciding with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday or a Presidential Inauguration, January has had some memorable cold air outbreaks. 

Last year, the second week of January was particularly frigid in the Nation’s Capital with temperatures remaining at or below freezing on four out of five days starting January 6.  That event pales in comparison to some other arctic outbreaks in the Mid-Atlantic Region over the last 25 years.  January 1994 remains the coldest month to occur in the Nation’s Capital since 1990.  It featured a 7-day stretch (from the 15^th to the 21^st) where temperatures remained below freezing.  The high temperature only reached 8 degrees downtown on January 19, 1994 and was the last time temperatures fell below 0 degrees (-4) in Washington, D.C. 

Longtime Washingtonians and historians might remember how cold it was for President Ronald Reagan’s second Inauguration in 1985.  That was the coldest presidential inauguration on record with a noon temperature of only 7 degrees on January 21 and wind chill temperatures that were -10 to -20 degrees.  President Obama’s first inauguration on January 20, 2009, also occurred during colder than average weather.  Although temperatures were in the 20s, it felt much colder because of a gusty wind. 

Since 2009, five of the last seven January’s have been colder than average in the Nation’s Capital.  However, there is a significant factor to consider when looking at global weather patterns this winter.  Not since the 1997-1998 winter season has there been an El Nino event of similar intensity to the current El Nino.  According to the National Weather Service, January 1998 was warmer and wetter than average in Washington, D.C. – as was the entire winter season.  January 1998 had a streak of eight consecutive days where high temperatures reached the 60s.

Although this January has been roughly two degrees warmer than average through January 16, it has had only one day in the 60s.  An arctic cold front will pass through the Mid-Atlantic Region later today ushering in the coldest air of the season.  High temperatures are not expected to reach the freezing mark again until Wednesday.  Although some light snow and flurries have occurred across much of the DC Metro Region today, the potential exists for a more significant winter storm later this week.  My colleagues and I on the WUSA9 weather team will keep you apprised on the latest weather forecasts both on-air and on the free WUSA9 app.