What weather will December bring?

 

A dry winter's day in Washington, D.C.

Meteorological winter officially began on December 1 and continues through the end of February. Average daily temperatures drop throughout December, according to NOAA. DC’s average high/low temperatures range from 53°/38° on December 1 to 44°/30° on December 31. DC’s warmest December temperature on record is 79° (December 7, 1998), while its coldest December temperature is -13° (December 31, 1880). Eight of the last 10 December’s have been warmer than average in Washington, D.C.

The nation’s capital averages 3.41” of December rainfall. Washingtonians can also expect an average of 1.7” of December snowfall (2.8” at Dulles Airport). However, nine of the last 10 Decembers have had below average snowfall. DC’s wettest December (7.56”) occurred in 1901 and driest (0.19”) in 1889. By comparison, the snowiest December occurred in 2009 with 16.6”. That was also the last time the nation’s capital had a white Christmas.

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center expects December to be a cooler than average month in the nation’s capital. That makes sense given the below average temperatures to start the month. Computer guidance expects colder than average temperatures to continue in the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia) until the middle of the month. That could help make this month DC’s coldest December since 2017. The colder than average temperatures create more favorable conditions for snow to occur.

Today’s weather brings a cold rain for the immediate D.C. Metropolitan Area. An inch of December snowfall hasn’t occurred in Washington, D.C. since 2017. That’s despite the nation’s capital averaging 1.7” of snow this month. This should be encouraging news for winter weather enthusiasts in the DMV.