Ranking February 2017

Feeling more like Easter than President's Day

Area residents may recall that it was two years ago today that Washingtonians experienced a record low of 5 degrees – DC’s coldest February temperature since 1958.  Moreover, February 2015 was the coldest February in the Nation’s Capital since 1979.  By comparison, this February couldn’t be more different and is poised to rival 1976 as DC’s warmest on record. 

Through February 19, this month’s average temperature (combining daily high and low temperatures) is 44.3 degrees at National Airport.  That would make it the fifth warmest February on record.  However, temperature and precipitation measurements were made downtown prior to 1941.  Once National Airport opened in 1941, that’s where Washington, D.C.’s weather records have been kept.

The proximity to the Potomac River can be significant in late winter and early spring when a south wind blows at National Airport.  That’s because the breeze blows off the chilly water of the Potomac, keeping temperatures slightly cooler than areas downtown and away from the river’s influence.  A good example of this occurred just this past Saturday when high temperatures at Dulles and BWI Airports reached the low 70s, while National Airport remained cooler in the upper 60s. 

While much of the central and eastern United States has experienced record warmth this winter, a series of Pacific storms have brought significant rain and mountain snows to the western United States.  A telling statistic that illustrates the difference between recent winters is the number of days of below freezing temperatures in Washington, D.C.  The 2014-2015 winter saw 46 such days, while there have been only 28 days at or below freezing at National Airport since December 1, 2016.  Meteorologists consider the months of December, January and February to be “meteorological winter.”

This month has already had as much 70 degree warmth as any February in the last 25 years.  There have been four days in the 70s so far at National Airport – the same as in 1997 and 2011.  This February has also been significantly drier than average in Washington, D.C. with only 0.16” as of February 19.  The Nation’s Capital could also set a new record for driest February on record.

Warmest Februarys (at National Airport in degrees Fahrenheit – source: NWS)

1.  46.9 (1976)

2.  45.2 (1990)
3.  44.7 (1997)
4.  44.4 (2012)

5.  43.8 (1984, 1949)

Driest Februarys in Washington, D.C. in inches (Source: NWS)

1.  0.35” (2009)
2.  0.42” (1978)
3.  0.47” (2002)
4.  0.62” (1901)
5.  0.66” (1977)