2023's Weather Roller Coaster

 

A stellar winter's day in the nation's capital !

As 2023 comes to a close, it's a good time to reflect upon some of the significant Washington, D.C., metro area weather headlines of the year. The year began with another relatively snow-free winter, followed by a drier than average spring that led to drought conditions, and is ending with DC's wettest December in over a decade.

The 2022-2023 winter season finished with only 0.4" of snow. That's less than 3% of DC's annual snowfall average of 13.7", according to NOAA. To add to that, no measurable snowfall occurred for the two-month period of December (2022) and January (2023) for the first time since 1972-1973.

The first three months of 2023 were drier than average. By the time above average rainfall occurred in April, it wasn't enough to offset the rainfall deficit that had accumulated since January 1. Since four of the final five months of 2022 were also drier than average in the nation's capital, DC's rainfall deficit by April 2023 produced drought conditions and enveloped parts of the DMV. Drought conditions worsened because May and June were significantly drier than average.

July brought some relief when a whopping 6.46" of rain fell (149% DC's July average). August was also wetter than average in the nation's capital. However, that was followed by a drier than average three-month period of "meteorological fall" (September, October and November). That caused drought conditions to return and expand across the DMV. 

Fortunately, the weather pattern then shifted dramatically once again in late-November and December. This month, in true El Nino form, has been much rainier than average with three days of at least an inch of rain in the nation's capital. Going back to November 21, there has been a total of 8.75", officially at National Airport. This rainfall has gone a long way towards mitigating the drought conditions that had worsened over the course of the dry fall months.

NOAA's Climate Prediction Center expects next month to feature near average temperatures and precipitation in the nation's capital. However, my colleagues and I on the WUSA9 weather team aren't expecting any snowfall in the DMV over the first week of 2024.

Wettest December's in Washington, D.C. (Source: NOAA)

1. 7.56" (1901)
2. 6.79" (2009)
3. 6.54" (1969)
4. 6.43" (2023)
5. 6.12" (1881)
6. 6.03" (1973)
7. 5.93" (1967)
8. 5.91" (1983)
9. 5.82" (2018)
10. 5.62" (1957)
11. 5.53" (2013)
12. 5.51" (1996)
13. 5.39" (1905)
14. 5.29" (1902)
15. 5.23" (1936)

Warmest December's in Washington, D.C. (Source: NOAA)

1. 51.2° (2015)
2. 47.6° (2021)
3. 45.6° (1984, 1889)
5. 45.5° (2023, 2001, 1982, 1971)
9. 45.4° (2012)
10. 45.0° (2011, 1923)
12. 44.5° (1990)
13. 44.4° (1998)
14. 44.2° (2006, 1994, 1956, 1931)
18. 43.7° (2014, 1979)
20. 43.5° (2018)