Weather Quiz

February 2020 has become DC’s fifth consecutive warmer than average February.  When was the last time the Nation’s Capital had five or more consecutive warmer than average February’s ?

A.  2000s

B.  1990s

C.  1970s

D.  1930s

February 2020: DC Weather Wrap

February 2020 has been mild in the DC Metro Area

February 2020 has been another warmer and wetter than average month in the Nation’s Capital.  The significance of February finishing warmer than average is that it also solidifies the position of the 2019-2020 winter season as being one of DC’s warmest winter’s.

DC’s warmest day this month occurred on February 4 with high/low temperatures of 65°/49°.  Through February 29, only seven days have been colder than average.  DC’s coldest February day was on February 15 with high/low temperatures of 36°/22°.  Although high temperatures today will hover near 40°, there have already been more February days with highs in the 60s (three) than days with highs in the 30s (two).

This month was DC’s fifth consecutive warmer than average February, the longest such streak since 1997 – 2002.  By comparison, some may recall that DC had very cold February’s from 2013 – 2015.  However, since then DC residents have experienced the warmest (2017) and third warmest (2018) February’s.

While February 2020 has been a wetter than average month with 3.21” of rain, no measurable snowfall has occurred.  This is DC’s third February since 2000 to finish with only a trace of snow.  DC’s only February on record with any snow was in 1977.  Although 3.21” doesn’t rank among DC’s wettest February’s, it has felt dreary since measurable rainfall has occurred on 14 days this month.  That includes 10 of the first 13 days of February.

The 2019-2020 winter season will finish among DC’s warmest winters on record.  For a second consecutive season, December, January and February were each warmer than average in the Nation’s Capital.  That hasn’t happened in back to back winters in Washington, D.C. since the 1997-1998 and 1998-1999 winters.  

DC’s Warmest February’s (Source: National Weather Service)

1.  47.7° (2017)
2.  46.9° (1976)
3.  45.3° (2018)
4.  45.2° (1990)
5.  44.7° (1997)
6.  44.4° (2012)
7.  43.8° (1984, 1949)
9.  43.7° (1981)
10.  43.5° (1954)

Late February Swings

Although late February can still be quite cold, large temperature swings are more common as March draws closer.  DC residents have seen a lot of weather variability between mid to late February and early March.  Average daily high/low temperatures rise to 51°/34° by this Friday, February 29.  

The 2019-2020 winter season has been a warm and relatively snow-free one in the Nation’s Capital.  This winter will finish among DC’s Top 10 Warmest and likely as DC’s third least snowy winter on record.  However, it’s worth highlighting some of late February’s dramatic weather of the last few years.  February 2015, for example, was DC’s coldest since 1979 with a monthly average temperature of 30.3° -- more than 8° below normal.  That month was a particularly frigid one, with 21 of 28 days colder than average.  With 9.8” of snow, it was also DC’s last February to have above average snowfall, with half coming during the final week of the month.

February 2016 had a frigid stretch of weather with highs below freezing on five consecutive days from February 11 – 15.  But, that month finished nearly 10° warmer than the previous February with an average temperature of 39.9°.  That’s in contrast to February 2017, which was DC’s warmest on record with an average monthly temperature of 47.7°, nearly 9° above average.  February 2017 had no measurable snowfall.

Although not as extreme as the previous year, February 2018 was also especially warm and finished as DC’s third warmest on record.  The record high of 82° on February 21, 2018 was DC’s earliest 80° temperature.  February 2018 was also a rainy month with a total of 4.79”, DC’s wettest February since 2003.  The most significant thing about February 2019 – aside from being warmer than average – is that it was the last time DC had an inch of more of snow.  Specifically, 2.6” fell on February 20, 2019 with 2.6”.  

Although no snowfall is expected the rest of this week, additional rainfall occurred today with more expected tomorrow.  That will give February 2020 a total of 13 days with measurable rainfall, helping make it DC’s fourth wetter than average February of the last five years.  February 2020 will become the third February since 2000 to have only a trace of snow during the entire month (a “trace” is too little to measure).  This illustrates that as the month of February wears on, DC’s weather can vary rather significantly from one year to the next.