February 2022: Warm and Dry in the Nation's Capital

 

February 2022 has been a warmer and drier than average month in the Nation’s Capital.  D.C.’s average monthly temperature (combining daily high and low temperatures) of 42.6° through February 27 is more than 2° above average.  That means this month will finish as D.C.’s fifth warmer than average February in the last six years.

Following D.C.’s coldest January in eight years, February 2022 has felt relatively balmy by comparison given the swing from below average to warmer than average monthly temperatures.  Last February was also more than 2° colder than average in Washington, D.C.  Meanwhile, only 10 of the first 25 days (40%) of this month were colder than average.  By comparison, 8 days this month were more than 10° above average in the Nation’s Capital. 

Washingtonians enjoyed spring-like highs in the 70s on February 17 and 23.  February 17 became D.C.’s first February day in the 70s in more than three years, since February 5, 2019 (74°).  To add to that, D.C.’s high of 77° on February 23 was its warmest February temperature in more than four years, since February 21, 2018 (82°).  On the other hand, D.C.’s coldest temperature this month was 21° on February 15.

With so much warm weather this month, it wasn’t a surprise that no measurable snowfall occurred in the Nation’s Capital.  For only the third time in the last decade, there was a trace (too little to measure) of February snowfall in Washington, D.C.  That’s well below the monthly average of 5.0”.  That’s a net swing of more than 17” following the 12.3” of snow in January 2022.  Although January finished with above average snowfall, the combination of no measurable snowfall in December 2021 and February 2022 will all but guarantee the 2021-2022 winter will finish with below average (13.7”) snowfall in the Nation’s Capital.

Although measurable rainfall occurred on nine days this month, the monthly total was only 2.31”.  With the exception of the 1.58” that occurred in Washington, D.C. on February 3-4, this month’s rainfall has been fairly light.  Consequently, February 2022 will finish as D.C.’s driest since 2017 (0.68”).  It’s also less than half of the 4.66” that fell in the Nation’s Capital last February.  Overall, the 2021-2022 winter season will finish as a warmer than average season with below average snowfall in the Nation’s Capital.