Weather Quiz

 

Photo Credit: Susan Granzow, Germantown, MD

When was the last time the nation’s capital had snow on the ground on New Year’s Eve ?

A. 2009

B. 2002

C. 1993

D. 1989

What to expect on New Year's Eve

 

December has featured a lot of weather variability in the nation’s capital, including today’s unusual warmth with highs in the mid-60s. And with warmer than average temperatures expected during the final days of the year, this month will continue a recent trend of a warmer than average New Year’s Eve.

This month has been cooler than average through December 28. However, that will change with the milder than average temperatures to close the month. It has also been a drier than average month to this point, but with rain tonight and more expected on New Year’s Eve, December rainfall will finish closer to average than where it is now (1.03” below average).

Today will be the fourth day with highs in the 60s this month. That’s close to DC’s December average of between three and four such days over the last 30 years. There have also been two days with highs in the 30s and that’s half of what the nation’s capital has averaged, according to NOAA. Only 0.1” of snow has occurred this month, making it the seventh consecutive December with below average snowfall.

The nation’s capital hasn’t had a colder than average New Year’s Eve since 2017 when the high temperature was only 23°. That was DC’s coldest high temperature on December 31 since 1962 (18°). By comparison, this December 31 will more closely resemble the last six that have been warmer than average with an average high/low of 54.5°/42.3°.

Three of the last six New Years Eve’s have had measurable rainfall. My colleagues and I on the WUSA9 weather team expect this December 31 to be rainy as well. Although any rain on New Year’s Eve may not be ideal, most would say that rain and above average temperatures are preferred to snow and ice combined with below average temperatures.

DC’s volatile December weather

 

A snowy December day (Photo Credit: Paul Laudicina)

The nation’s capital averages 1.7” of snow in December, but measurable snowfall has occurred in only 13 of the last 24 years – including last year.

December 2009 was the snowiest on record in Washington, D.C. (16.6”). Longtime Washingtonians may remember the record December 18-19 snow that year which remains one of DC’s 10 largest snowstorms.

DC residents have experienced seven of the 10 warmest December’s on record since 2011, including the warmest in 2015. December 2015 finished with a total of 14 days with high temperatures in the 60s and 70s, while low temperatures only fell at or below freezing twice with no snow.

However, this December has gotten off to a colder than average start. That doesn’t necessarily mean the rest of the winter will be colder than average. Area residents may recall that following DC’s warmest December in 2015, DC’s fourth largest snow storm occurred in January 2016. At the opposite end of the spectrum was December 1989, which finished nearly 12° colder than average. In addition, 1989 remains DC’s only year that had snow on the ground on both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Meanwhile, the rest of the 1989-1990 winter was warmer than average with below average snowfall. 

The right elements have to come together only once to bring Washingtonians a classic winter storm capable of producing the seasonal average of snow in just one event (13.7”). For example, a sufficiently cold air mass combined with the appropriate storm track close to the East Coast could bring the requisite moisture to the DC Metro that could result in a winter wonderland.

December is the second of five consecutive months with an average of at least 0.1” of accumulating snowfall in the nation’s capital. However, Washingtonians haven’t had a snowier than average December since 2017 or a “white Christmas” since 2009.