September and October were both warmer and drier than
average in the DC Metro Area. November
is the third and final month of meteorological fall in North America. This month has already gotten off to a warmer
than average start with a balmy high temperature of 78° at National Airport on
November 3. Although today’s high temperature
of 61° is appreciably cooler, it’s much closer to average.
The average high/low temperatures in Washington, D.C.
fall from 63°/45° on November 1 to 52°/37° by the end of the month. According to NOAA, November’s warmest
temperature in the Nation’s Capital (86°) occurred on November 1, 1974. By comparison, DC’s coldest November
temperature on record (11°) was on November 30, 1929. Some may know that weather records in
Washington, D.C. date back to 1871 and that official weather measurements are
made at National Airport.
Weather records that predate National Airport (that
opened in 1941) were made in NW D.C. The
coldest November temperature observed at National Airport occurred on November
26, 1950 (17°). Since Dulles Airport is
located in a more rural location away from the moderating influence of the
Potomac River, temperatures there often get colder than at National
Airport. November’s coldest temperature at
Dulles Airport (9°) occurred on November 24, 1989.
National Weather Service data shows that Washington,
D.C. averages 3.17” of rain and 0.5” of snow in November. November largest snowstorm in the Nation’s
Capital occurred on Veteran’s Day in 1987 when 11.5” of snow occurred. However, the Nation’s Capital hasn’t had
measurable November snowfall since 1996.
That’s D.C.’s longest stretch without accumulating snowfall in
November. However, November snowfall has
little bearing on the upcoming winter season.
Washingtonians had an average amount of snow (0.5”) in
1995, while the 1995-1996 winter remains the third snowiest (46”) on
record. Meanwhile, November 1989 was a
colder and snowier than average month that brought a total of 3.5” of snow to
the Nation’s Capital. By comparison,
more snow fell in Washington, D.C. in November 1989 than in January, February
and March of 1990 combined (2.6”).
NOAA is expecting the warmer than average conditions
of the fall to continue over the course of the month with near average rainfall
in the DC Metro Area. The last seven
Novembers have been drier than average in Washington, D.C., while the last two
have also been warmer than average.
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