Cold Weather Takes Hold

A Frigid End to 2017  (Germantown, Maryland on December 30)

Much of the central and northern United States has been experiencing record cold and snowfall.  Erie, Pennsylvania, shattered records with more than five feet of snow from December 24 – December 27 (65.1”).  While the DC Metro Area hasn’t had any record snowfall this month, it has already had the snowiest December since 2010 with a monthly total of 1.9” at National Airport. 

Although that’s below December’s average of 2.3” in the Nation’s Capital, it’s significant because no measurable December snow has occurred in DC since 2013.  Some additional light snow occurred in parts of the DC Metro Area this morning and is the leading edge of an even colder blast of arctic air.  Snow accumulations this morning totaled roughly one-half to one inch of snow in the DC-Baltimore corridor earlier today, including 0.2" at National Airport, 0.4" at Dulles Airport and 1.0" at BWI Airport.

 

DC’s temperatures remained below freezing on consecutive December days on December 28-29, for the first time since December 13-14, 2005.  The high temperature of 25° at National Airport on December 28 was DC’s coldest December high temperature since December 20, 2004 (24°).  Meanwhile, Dulles Airport’s high temperature of 23° on December 28 set a daily record for coldest high temperature.  Baltimore tied its record low and record low-high temperatures on December 28 (24°/10°).

While today's high temperature reached 33°, even colder air will arrive in the DC Metro Area tonight.   High temperatures are poised to remain in the 20s for three consecutive days in the Nation’s Capital from December 31 through January 2.  Some record low-high temperatures could be set at Dulles Airport where weather records date back to 1960.  However, no record low temperatures are expected downtown over the next few days where weather records date back to the 1870s.

NOAA predicts below average temperatures to continue through the first half of January.  Although DC residents experienced three consecutive days with high temperatures in the 20s from January 7 – 9, 2017, high temperatures are only expected to approach 32° once in the upcoming week on Wednesday.  The last time DC residents experienced four consecutive January days with high temperatures at or below freezing was from January 22 – 25, 2013.  The last time high temperatures remained at or below freezing for more than four consecutive days in the Nation's Capital was from January 23 - 28, 2004.

Record Lows / Record Low Highs (*=monthly records)

December 31:

Washington, D.C., National Airport (DCA):  -13° (1880)* / 12° (1917)
Dulles International Airport, Sterling, VA (IAD):  1° (1993) / 20° (1962)
Baltimore, MD (BWI Airport): -1° (1880) / 12° (1917)

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January 1:

DCA:  -14° (1881)* / 17° (1918)
IAD: -6° (1968) / 26° (1977)
BWI: -6° (1881) / 17° (1918)

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January 2:

DCA: -1° (1899) / 15° (1918)
IAD: -7° (1968) / 24° (1968)
BWI: 0° (1968) / 13° (1918)