Extraordinary January cold spells

 

January's frigid weather

January is the coldest month of the year on average in the nation’s capital. Washingtonians have endured some memorable stretches of frigid January weather since 2000. 

2025: DC’s coldest stretch of weather during all of last winter occurred from January 20 – 23. High temperatures remained below freezing on four consecutive days for the longest such period since January 4 – 7, 2018. DC’s average high/low during these four days were 27.3°/15.8°. DC’s low temperature of 15° on January 22 and 23 was the coldest it has been in the nation’s capital since December 24, 2022 (9°).

2024: The coldest wave during the entire 2023-2024 winter occurred during a six-day period from January 15 – 20. Temperatures remained at or below freezing on four of these days. DC’s average daily high/low temperature during this stretch was 32.3°/22.2°.

2018: From January 1 – January 7, temperatures climbed above freezing only once when it was 35° on January 3. The coldest day during this period was January 7 with a high/low of only 23°/8°. DC’s average daily high/low temperatures during this 11-day stretch were 26.6°/15°.

2014: This January finished with seven days that high temperatures remained at or below freezing. The coldest stretch was from January 22 – January 24 when highs remained below freezing, with average daily high/low temperatures of 23.7°/10.7°. The coldest day was January 22 when DC’s high was only 19°. That was the last time the nation’s capital had a high temperature in the teens. The month finished more than five degrees colder than average.

2005: Although the first two weeks of this January were warmer than average, from January 17 – 29, highs remained below freezing on nine days. DC’s average daily high/low temperatures during this frigid stretch were 30.5°/18.3°.

2004: January finished nearly seven degrees colder than average in the nation’s capital. The coldest weather was a 13-day stretch from January 19 – 31. High temperatures remained below freezing on 11 of these days, including six consecutively from January 23 – 28. DC’s average daily high/low temperatures during this unusually cold 13-day period were 30.7°/19.2°.