January comes to a frigid conclusion

 

A frigid morning in Bethesda, Maryland

This month will finish as DC’s coldest January in over a decade. January 2026 has also been a snowier and wetter than average month in the nation’s capital.

January will finish with 7” of snow, making this DC’s third consecutive snowier than average (4.9”) January. This is the first time DC has experienced three consecutive snowier than average January’s since 1964-1966. To add to that, this month will finish with 3.16” of rain (including liquid equivalent of melted snowfall) making it a wetter than average (2.86”), January as well.

Temperatures over the first half of the month were generally warmer than average with nine of the first 15 days above average. However, there was a hard pivot to colder than average temperatures. Only two warmer than average days occurred between January 16 and January 31. DC’s average monthly temperature of 33.9° through January 30 will make this the coldest January since 2014 (32.2°).

January’s two signature weather events were the epic winter storm that occurred on January 25 and the extended stretch of subfreezing temperatures afterwards. The 1.99” of liquid precipitation on January 25 made for DC’s wettest day in more than two years.  Not since January 9, 2024 had Washingtonians experienced a wetter day (2.24”). The majority of this month’s snowfall also occurred on January 25 with 6.9” at National Airport.

Temperatures have remained below freezing in the nation’s capital since January 24. Today is the eighth consecutive day of subfreezing temperatures, the longest such streak since December 1989 (10 days). Temperatures aren’t expected to climb above 32° until February 2.

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center expects the colder than average temperatures to continue through the first half of February across much of the eastern United States.

Cold waves: past and present

 

Unusual January cold in Bethesda, Maryland

Today will be the sixth consecutive day with subfreezing temperatures in the nation’s capital. This event will likely end up as a nine or potentially ten-day stretch. A 10-day stretch would tie DC’s fifth longest subfreezing stretch on record. It would also be the longest since the 10-day stretch in December 1989.

DC’s average daily low temperature during the current six-day stretch of subfreezing temperatures is 14.5°. That pales in comparison to the 10-day stretch in December 1989 when the average daily low temperature was 12.4° and included lows in the single digits on December 22 and December 23.

Single-digit temperatures have become a rarity in the nation’s capital this century with only five such occurrences during the month of January, and none since 2018. Dating back to 2000, single-digit temperatures have only occurred once each in December (2022) and in February (2015). DC’s coldest temperature this century of 5° occurred on February 20, 2015.

Although February 2015 finished as DC’s coldest month of the century, it was an anomalously cold month with several shorter, but more intense stretches of cold compared to this week. For example, DC’s average daily low temperature from February 13 – February 21, 2015, was 13°. DC’s lack of long-duration periods of subfreezing cold in recent decades have contributed to making our current stretch feel particularly cold.

High temperatures on Monday, February 2, will reach the low 30s and could become DC’s first above freezing day since January 23. Perhaps ironically that will also be Groundhog Day. 

Cold weather benchmarks in Washington, D.C.

 

Colder than average weather to continue into February for much of the Eastern U.S. (NOAA)

The major winter storm that brought significant snow and sleet to the nation’s capital on January 25 coincided with the start of an exceptionally cold week. Temperatures haven’t been above freezing since January 23 and are poised to remain below freezing through the upcoming weekend. 

Temperatures aren’t expected to climb above freezing until February 2 or February 3. That would make a minimum of 11 consecutive days temperatures remain 32° or colder in the nation’s capital. Such a streak would be the longest such stretch since National Airport (DCA) opened in 1941 and weather measurements for the nation’s capital began being taken there ever since.

Prior to 1941, measurements were made in downtown D.C. and official NOAA weather records in the nation’s capital date all the way back to 1871. Below are some critical cold weather benchmarks for the nation’s capital.

Longest stretches of days at or below freezing, Washington, D.C. (NOAA - DCA)

12: January 23 – February 3, 1936 (Average daily high/low temperatures: 24.1°/11.6° )

12: February 3 – February 14, 1895 (21.3°/8.8°)

11: December 21 – December 31, 1935 (27°/15.3°)

11: January 10 – January 20, 1893 (21.4°/7°)

10: December 16 – 25, 1989 (25.5°/12.4°)

Honorable Mentions

7: February 9 – February 15, 1979 (24.3°/11.3°)

December 28, 2017 – January 7, 2018 (12 days, 24.3°/13.3°): Although temperatures were above freezing twice during this streak (December 30: 33°, January 3: 35°), this streak remains impressive for its duration.

Last daily high temperature in the teens: January 22, 2014 (19°)

Last high temperature in the single digits: January 19, 1994 (8°)


Last low temperature in the single digits: December 24, 2022 (9°)


Last January low temperature in the single digits: January 7, 2018 (8°)

Last consecutive days with lows in the single digits:
February 4 – 5, 1996 (9°, 5°)


Last time below 0°: January 19, 1994 (-4°)