DC’s exciting snow day

 

January snowfall in Bethesda, Maryland

The right ingredients came together on Monday to produce beneficial snowfall across the DC Metro Area, as well as several local January 6 snowfall records. It was also the snowiest day in the nation’s capital in nearly six years.

A total of 7.2” fell at Reagan National Airport on January 6 and that was DC’s largest snow total since 10.3” occurred during a longer lasting storm from January 12 – 14, 2019. Although it wasn’t record-setting, the 7.2” was DC’s largest daily snowfall since January 13, 2019 when 8.3” occurred as part of the larger, multi-day snow event.

Meanwhile, both Dulles Airport (6.0”) and BWI Airports (6.6”) set new January 6 snowfall records. It’s also unusual for National Airport to see a higher snow total than both Dulles and BWI Airports. 

The January 6 total of 7.2” has already given the nation’s capital a snowier than average month since DC averages only 4.9” of January snowfall. While January is DC’s coldest month of the year, February is typically the snowiest month based on NOAA averages. However, the nation’s capital has seen several memorable January winter storms.

Today is the 29^th anniversary of DC’s sixth largest snowstorm that occurred from January 7 – 9, 1996. It dropped 17.3” of snow at National Airport.

The January 2016 winter storm finished tied with the February 2010 storm since they each produced 17.8” of snow and rank as DC’s fourth largest snow events. The January 2016 storm was DC’s last Top 10 snowfall and the last time 10” or more has occurred during a 24-hour period. There hasn’t been much snow in the nation’s capital since that epic winter storm almost nine years ago.

With Monday’s 7.2” of snow, January 2025 has become only the sixth snowier than average month in the nine years since the record-setting January 2016 winter storm. There has also been only one snowier than average winter (2018-2019) in the last nine years. 

The nation’s capital averages 13.7” of annual snowfall, so the city is more than halfway to that total. It will be interesting to see how much more snow occurs before springtime arrives.