Bone-Chilling February Cold

 

A Frigid Morning in Washington, D.C.  (Courtesy: Robin Beal)

Although not as cold as Midwestern cities like Chicago or Minneapolis, the Nation’s Capital has experienced significant February cold in its own right during the last 20 years.  Following a low of 19° at 11:59 PM on February 3, D.C.’s high/low temperatures on February 4 were a frigid 33°/16°.  However, the cold start to this month pales in comparison to recent cold waves.  Here are some that are worth remembering.

2016:  Temperatures remained below freezing on five consecutive days from February 11 – February 15.  This remains the last time that’s occurred in the Nation’s Capital during any month.  With an average high temperature of 29.2° during this five-day period, the coldest day occurred on February 14 with a high/low temperature of 26°/13°.  Although this cold stretch of weather occurred less than a month after the record “Blizzard of 2016,” no significant snowfall accompanied this frigid weather in the D.C. Metro Area.

2015:  This February finished as D.C.’s coldest since 1979 with an average monthly temperature (combining daily high/low temperatures) nearly 10° below average.  The coldest weather of the month occurred during a nine-day stretch from February 13 – February 21 when high temperatures remained below freezing on all but two days.

According to the National Weather Service, D.C.’s low temperature of 5° on February 20, was not only a record low for the date, but was D.C.’s first record low during the month of February since 1970.  D.C.’s average high/low temperatures this nine-day period in 2015 were 27.7°/13.0°, compared to average daily high/low temperatures for this period from 48°/31° on February 13 to 50°/33° on February 21.

2010:  The six-day period of February 5 – February 10 was significant not only for being cold, but also featured two record-setting snowfall events.  “Snowmageddon” occurred on February 5-6 with 17.8” at National Airport.  There was another 10.8” of snow on February 9-10.  D.C.’s warmest temperature during these six days was 37° on February 5, with highs remaining at or below freezing on three other days.  The coldest day of the six was February 7 with a high/low of 32°/16°.

2007:  The coldest stretch of weather during the 2006-2007 winter season occurred during a six-day period in early February.  D.C.’s warmest temperature from February 4 – February 9 was 34°, according to the National Weather Service.  D.C.’s average high/low temperatures during this period were 29.2°/15.5°.  The coldest day was February 5 with a high/low of 22°/13°.  This February finished with a slightly above average snow total of 5.9” in the Nation’s Capital.

1996:  The 1995-1996 winter season finished as one of D.C.’s snowiest on record.  In addition to the record-setting “Blizzard of 1996” in early-January, significant cold occurred in early February.  In fact, the coldest weather of the entire winter occurred from February 1 – February 6.  D.C.’s average high/low temperatures during this period were 25.2°/13.0°.  The coldest days were February 4 (17°/10°) and February 5 (21°/5°).