How Does This Winter Rank ?

The end of meteorological winter has arrived.  The three month period of December, January and February comprise “meteorological winter.”  NOAA uses a running 30-year average (1980-2010) that’s updated every decade to determine what average temperatures and precipitation amounts are in Washington, D.C.

The 2017-2018 winter season could be divided into roughly two different halves with respect to temperature.  The period from December 1 through January 15 was exceptionally cold in the DC Metro Area.  That includes an 11-day stretch where temperatures remained at or below freezing on nine days (December 28, 2017 – January 7, 2018).  Despite the frigid temperatures, only 2.7” of snow occurred during this six-week period.  That speaks to the larger trend of dry weather from September 2017 through January 2018, when the Nation’s Capital had a rainfall deficit of more than nine inches.

Following DC’s driest January since 1981, moderate to severe drought conditions enveloped almost the entire DC Metro Area earlier this month.  Fortunately, a dramatic change in the weather pattern developed with measurable rainfall on 15 of the first 25 days of February.  Despite this, February 2018 has also been significantly warmer than average and that has meant below average snowfall. 

January 2018 had a mild second half with above average temperatures on 11 of the final 15 days.  That warmer than average trend continued into February, as this month is poised to finish as the third warmest on record in Washington, D.C.  In addition, the high temperature of 82° on February 21 was not only the earliest in the year 80° warmth occurred, but was also DC’s first 80° February day since February 28, 1948.

Despite this flip flop from cold and dry over the first half of the 2017-2018 winter season to warm and rainy for much of the second half, the lack of snowfall has persisted.  A total of only 3.3” of snow fell in Washington, D.C. this season or roughly 20% of the seasonal average of 15.4”.  

Washingtonians longing for snow shouldn’t give up hope altogether for seeing a little snowfall.  While last winter was also warmer and drier than average in the Nation’s Capital, March 2017 was snowier than average with two inches at National Airport.  Despite the expected cooler and wetter than average start to March 2018, NOAA says there is a 33% chance that it will feature warmer than average monthly temperatures in the Nation’s Capital and near average precipitation.