DC's unforgettable start to 2024

 

Trying to keep warm !

This has been a month of firsts in the nation's capital.  Washingtonians saw two snow events in less than a week that combined to produce DC's first snowier than average month in two years.  Next came record warmth and multiple rainy days that combined to produce one of DC's wettest January's on record.

DC residents haven't seen much snow in the eight years since the record-setting "Blizzard of 2016."  Not so much as an inch of snow had fallen since January 2022.  However, that all changed when 4.1" occurred on January 15-16.  Another 3.7" came from a storm three days later.  This month's snow total of 7.8" was not only DC's highest monthly total since January 2022, but also made January 2024 DC's first snowier than average month in two years.

Temperatures in the nation's capital remained at or below freezing on three consecutive days from January 15 - 17 and on four days between January 15 - January 20.  Not since January 2018 had Washingtonians seen such a stretch of cold weather.  Although no record lows were set, DC's high temperature of 29° on January 20 was DC's coldest January high temperature since January 21, 2022 (27°). 

A rapid warm-up followed with highs in the 60s on January 25 and a record-smashing high of 80° on January 26.  Not only did that set a new record high for the date, but it was also the first time in recorded history that nation's capital experienced 80° warmth in January.  It also set a record for earliest in the year a temperature of 80° occurred.  By comparison, the warmest it's been so far this month in Austin, Texas was 78° (January 18) and in New Orleans, Louisiana was 77° (January 12). 

There was measurable rainfall on 11 days since January 1, including three days with an inch or more.  That includes the 2.24" of rain at National Airport on January 9; DC's wettest January day in over 100 years.  All these rainy days combined to produce a monthly rainfall total of 5.88" - more than double DC's January rainfall average of 2.86".

 

DC's 10 Rainiest January's (Source: NOAA)

1. 7.83” (1937)
2. 7.11” (1978)
3. 7.09” (1882)
4. 6.64” (1979)
5. 6.34” (1915)
6. 6.14” (1891)
7. 5.87” (1936)
8. 5.84” (1892)
9. 5.59” (1884)
10. 5.43” (1998)

DC reached 80° in January for the first time

 

Friday's warmth felt more like late-May

Highs on January 26 reached uncharted territory in the nation's capital. It was 80° for the first time on record during the month of January in Washington, D.C. Check out this story I wrote for the WUSA9 website for more context on this unprecedented weather event.

The DC Area's underwhelming snowfall trends

 

A January 2019 snow day in Bethesda, Maryland

Despite last week's two winter storms, the nation's capital now has only its fifth snowier than average month in the eight years since the record setting "Blizzard of 2016." It's important to distinguish how a snowier than average month doesn’t always mean there will be a snowier than average winter season as a whole. Here's a closer look at those past snowier than average months.

January 2024: The nation's capital ended its snowfall drought without an inch of snow on January 15. That's when 3.4" of snow fell as part of a two-day total of 4.1" at National Airport. Prior to this storm, the last inch of snow Washingtonians experienced was on January 16, 2022 (2.6"). Winter weather enthusiasts got a second round of snow a few days later with another 3.7" on January 19. This month's total of 7.8" is above DC's January snowfall average of 4.9".

January 2022: A monthly total of 12.3" of snow occurred with accumulating snowfall on four days. The largest winter storm this month saw 6.9" of snow on January 3. Making this snowfall particularly impressive is that it occurred following 10 consecutive warmer than average days, including highs in the 60s on January 1 and January 2. This remains the last 5" or larger snowfall in the nation's capital. The 2021-2022 winter finished with 13.2", just below NOAA's annual snowfall average of 13.7" for the nation's capital.

January 2019: The signature winter storm of the entire 2018-2019 winter was a long-lived event with accumulating snowfall over three consecutive days. A total of 10.3" was recorded at National Airport from January 12 - 14. It was DC's largest winter storm since the "Blizzard of 2016" and remains the last 10"/+ snowfall in the nation's capital. Unlike the 2021-2022 winter that saw almost no snow except for January 2022; the 2018-2019 winter season finished with above average snowfall (16.9").

November 2018: Accumulating November snowfall is a rarity in the nation's capital with only three such occurrences over the last 30 years. Two were in the 1990s, with the most recent having been a daily snowfall record of 1.4" on November 15, 2018. Another 0.3" of snow occurred in March 2019, making the 2018-2019 winter DC's first with accumulating snowfall in both November and March since 1995-1996.

March 2018: The largest snowfall of the 2017-2018 winter season, that featured below average snowfall, didn't occur in the nation's capital until March 21.  That's when 4.1" of wet snow fell at National Airport.  Although not a record snow total for the date, record snowfall did occur on this date at Dulles Airport (4.8").