Happy Valentine’s Day !

Having reached February’s midway point, how did the weather shape up over the first half of the month?  Despite a frigid first day of February with a high/low temperature of 24°/20°, Washington, D.C. had a very mild first week.  Colder than average temperatures the last few days didn’t compare to how warm the first week of February was, however.  That means February’s average temperature in the Nation’s Capital is still 3.3° above average.

Washingtonians had near average rainfall over the first half of February, but below average snowfall (with only 1.1” of snow so far).  However, my colleagues and I on the WUSA9 Weather Team are watching several prospects for winter weather over the next week.  Those people anxious for spring will enjoy one milder day tomorrow with high temperatures around 60° before a trend toward colder, more seasonal temperatures for President’s Day Weekend.  Four of DC’s 10 largest snowstorms have occurred over the President’s Day weekend (in 1899, 1979, 1983 and 2003).

Although temperatures are expected to remain slightly below normal for the second half of February, no blockbuster storms are expected in the Mid-Atlantic Region.  There will only be a marginal amount of cold air in place for winter storms over the next week so watching the storm track as they develop is essential.

Winter weather enthusiasts already had a record snow event last month.  The January 12 – 14 storm brought Washington, D.C. snow for 35 consecutive hours over a three-day period.  It produced a total of 10.3” and that was DC’s largest snowfall since January 2016.  It also brought roughly 66% of the seasonal snowfall average of 15.4”.  If you subtract this storm, the 2018-2019 winter has seen precious little snow with a combined total of only 3.7” at National Airport since November 1.  It’s interesting to note that while DC had its largest November snow total since 1989 with 1.4”, no snow fell in December for only the third time since 2000.

In addition to January’s snow event, the other major story this winter has been the predominantly milder than average weather in the DC Metro Area.  With the exception of a few frigid days in late January and early February, Washingtonians have had a very mild winter.  High temperatures remained below freezing on only three days between January 20 and February 1, while low temperatures downtown reached the teens five times in that span.  December 2018 finished nearly 4° warmer than average.  For the third consecutive year, Washingtonians experienced 70° warmth in the first half of February. 

Winter weather enthusiasts shouldn’t fret as the winter season isn’t over yet with several prospects for snow over the next week.  To add to that, the Nation’s Capital does get measurable snowfall in the month of March, with a monthly average of 1.3”.  March has actually been DC’s snowiest month in four of the last six years.