A closer look at historic cold in the nation's capital

 

Frigid January weather

As the nation’s capital prepares for its coldest stretch of weather in a number of years, it’s worth reflecting on some other memorable arctic outbreaks. Some have also coincided with Inauguration Day.

It’s important to emphasize how unusual highs in the 20s are in the nation’s capital since average daily high temperatures are in the mid 40s throughout January. Although some days with highs in the 20s occur on occasion, they are rare, with two or more consecutive days that are rarer still.

The last time the nation’s capital had a high of less than 30° was on January 20, 2024 (29°). The last time highs in the 20s occurred on consecutive days was on January 31 – February 1, 2019. Meanwhile, the last time three or more consecutive days with highs in the 20s occurred in the nation’s capital was on January 4 – January 7, 2018.

With highs poised to remain in the low 20s on both Tuesday and Wednesday, it’s worth noting the last time DC had a high temperature of less than 25° was on December 24, 2022 (22°). This was also the last time the nation’s capital had a low temperature in the single digits (9°). Nearly 11 years have passed since the last time the nation’s capital had a high of less than 20° when it was only 19° on January 22, 2014.

Although such frigid temperatures are most common in January, they can also occur in other months. Such was the case in February 2015 that finished nearly 10° colder than average in Washington, D.C., and included seven days of high temperatures that remained below freezing.

Tomorrow’s Inauguration Day will rank among the coldest with temperatures only in the low 20s for the noon ceremony. While President Reagan’s second inauguration was the coldest on record with a noon temperature of only 7°, there have been other relatively recent inaugurations that were also quite cold. For example, the noon temperature was only 28° during President Obama’s first inauguration on January 20, 2009. That remains tied with President Carter’s inauguration on January 20, 1977, as the third coldest in January. The 20^th Amendment requires Presidential inaugurations to occur in January as they have since 1937.

Similar to President Reagan’s second inauguration, tomorrow’s ceremony was also moved indoors. However, regardless of where tomorrow’s inauguration ranks among the coldest, this week’s frigid weather will be DC’s coldest weather in at least seven years and possibly longer.

Punishing January cold waves in the nation’s capital

 

January 2018, Washington, D.C. (Photo Credit: Robin Beal)

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 in recent decades. 

2024: The coldest wave during all of last winter was 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°.  Although not historically cold, this was DC’s coldest stretch of weather in several years.

2018: The start of the month occurred in the midst of an unusually cold period. From December 28, 2017 – January 7, 2018, temperatures remained at or below freezing on nine days. 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 was 26.6°/15°.

2014: Finishing more than 5° colder than average, this January had seven days with highs that remained at or below freezing. The coldest stretch was a three-day period 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.

2004: The month closed with a 13-day stretch (January 19 – January 31) when daily highs held at or below freezing on 11 days, including on six consecutive days from January 23 – January 28.  Average daily high/low temperatures during this 13-day period were 30.7°/19.2°. The month, as a whole, finished 7° below average.

1996: From January 6 – January 12, highs remained below freezing on six days, with a high of only 34° on January 10. Accumulating snowfall occurred on five of these seven days, including the record-setting “Blizzard of 1996” that ranks among DC’s Top 10 largest winter storms.  DC’s average high/low temperatures during this seven-day period were 28.1°/17.6°.

1994: This was the last month in the nation’s capital to finish with an average temperature (including daily high and low temperatures) of less than 30° (28.8°).  All but four days were colder than average in January 1994, with the most extreme cold coming mid-month.  A seven-day stretch from January 15 – January 21 was particularly frigid.  DC’s average daily high/low temperatures during this period were 22.6°/5°. January 19, 1994, was the last time the nation’s capital had a high temperature in the single digits (8°) and a temperature below 0° (-4°).

2024: DC's warmest year on record

 

A warm June day in the nation's capital

Last year finished as DC’s warmest on record. Check out this feature I wrote for the WUSA9 website for details.