Coldest DC Weather Since ??

Although DC area residents have endured temperatures at or below freezing on six of the last eight days, the next 48 hours are poised to be even colder.  Meanwhile, the trend at Dulles Airport, where temperatures have not been above freezing since December 26, will continue.

Temperature records in Washington, D.C. date back to 1871, but have been made at National Airport since it opened in 1941.  A majority of the record low temperature records in the Nation’s Capital occurred prior to 1941 when measurements were made downtown and away from the Potomac River.  Weather records at Dulles Airport date back to the early 1960s.

A reinforcing blast of arctic air has taken control of our weather since a major winter storm exited the U.S. East Coast yesterday.  Consequently, high temperatures in the DC Metro Area are only going to flirt with the 20° mark today and tomorrow.  The last time the high temperature in Washington, D.C. remained below 20° was on January 22, 2014 (19°).  Not since January 1994 have high temperatures remained below 20° on consecutive days in the Nation’s Capital.  

However, during a six day stretch from January 15 – 20, 1994, temperatures at National Airport remained below 20° for four days.  To add to that, January 19, 1994, was one of DC’s coldest days since World War II because the daily high/low temperatures were only 8°/-4° (DC’s last subzero temperature).  That was also the last time high temperatures remained below 10° in Washington, D.C.  Low temperatures tonight could fall to the single digits and below 0° in spots.  The last time temperatures were in the single digits at National Airport was February 20, 2015 (5°), while the last time Dulles Airport was below 0° was February 24, 2015 (-4°).

Washington, D.C. has had a total of nine days since 1994 when high temperatures remained at or below 20°.  Meanwhile, National Airport has had low temperatures of less than 10° on 12 occasions in the last 24 years.  By comparison, the more rural Dulles Airport in Sterling, Virginia, has had low temperatures at or below 0° on 13 occasions since January 1994.  Temperatures aren’t expected to climb above freezing for the entire DC Metro Area until early next week.  In the meantime, some additional record low temperatures could be set in the DC Metro Region.

Record Low High Temperatures

January 5:

Washington, D.C., National Airport (DCA): 18° (1896)
Dulles International Airport, Sterling, VA (IAD): 21° (1968)
Baltimore, MD (BWI Airport): 18° (1896)

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Record Low / Record High-Low Temperatures

January 6:

DCA: 2° (1884) / 14° (1884)
IAD: 4° (1999)^ / 20° (1988)
BWI: 5° (1904) / 16° (1912)

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January 7:

DCA: 5° (1884) / 18° (1878)
IAD: 1° (2014) / 18° (2014)
BWI: 3° (2014) / 16° (2014)

^=also occurred in previous years