Saturated low levels from multiple rounds of heavy rain combining with overnight low level inversion led to widespread development of fog, with areas of dense fog.
Every event with a place to put it; 12 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS LWX wrote it up.
Saturated low levels from multiple rounds of heavy rain combining with overnight low level inversion led to widespread development of fog, with areas of dense fog.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Baltimore/Washington wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 24, 7:32 PM EST, 4 hours 43 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 732 PM EST THU DEC 24 2015 .SYNOPSIS... A FRONT WILL MEANDER IN THE REGION THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. WAVES OF LOW PRESSURE RIDING NORTHEAST ALONG THE FRONT WILL MAINTAIN AN ACTIVE PATTERN THROUGH TUESDAY WHEN LOW PRESSURE APPROACHES FROM THE SOUTHWEST. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR UPDATED CLIMATE SECTION BELOW FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON OUR WARMTH. AS OF 7 PM...TROUGH OVER THE AREA HAS SETTLED TO SRN MD WITH A LULL IN RAIN EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT BEFORE THE FRONT SHIFT BACK NORTH FRIDAY/CHRISTMAS. MOSTLY CLOUDY TONIGHT WITH ONLY LIGHT FLOW. FOG IS POSSIBLE PARTICULARLY FOR SERN ZONES WHICH ARE CLOSER TO THE FRONT/TROUGH. MARINE FOG IS BEING REPORTED AT ANNAPOLIS... WILL NEED TO MONITOR EXPANSION OF POTENTIALLY DENSE FOG. DEWPOINTS SLOWLY DROP TONIGHT WITH MIN TEMPS LOW 50S NW TO LOW 60S SE. RAIN LIFTS NORTH ACROSS THE AREA FRIDAY MORNING BEFORE STALLING OVER THE AREA. THIS WILL CAUSE A RAINY PERIOD FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... RIDGING AT THE SFC AND ALOFT WILL REMAIN OFF THE SE COAST TO START SATURDAY...WITH A FRONT DRAPED W-E ACROSS THE CWA. MOIST ISENTROPIC LIFT WILL BE IN PLAY THROUGHOUT THE DAY AS SFC HIGH PRESSURE PASSES BY TO THE NORTH. HAVE LIKELY POPS FOR MUCH OF THE AREA...ALTHOUGH RAIN MAY BECOME CONCENTRATED FARTHER NORTH WITH TIME. LARGE DIFFERENCES IN MAX T GUIDANCE...WITH BUST POTENTIAL DUE TO FRONTAL POSITION AND RAINFALL. ADJUSTED HIGHS DOWN TO THE MID 50S ACROSS NORTHERN PARTS OF THE CWA...ALTHOUGH IT COULD BE AS COOL AS THE UPPER 40S. HAVE THE SOUTHERN THIRD IN THE MID 60S...ALTHOUGH THIS COULD BE CLOSER TO 70 IF THE FRONT LIFTS NORTH. ASSUMING FRONT HASN/T LIFTED NORTH...IT WILL PROBABLY HAVE A HARD TIME DOING SO SATURDAY NIGHT AS REMNANT CAD WEDGE MAY BE IN PLACE. HOWEVER DEEP MOISTURE LIFTS NORTH WITH BOUNDARY ALOFT...SO SHOULD BE A DECREASE IN RAIN COVERAGE. LOW CONFIDENCE FORECAST OF LOWS IN THE 50S. LOW PRESSURE WILL BE LIFTING THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES SUNDAY MORNING AND THIS SHOULD HELP LIFT ANY LINGERING SFC BOUNDARY TO THE NORTH. THIS WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO REBOUND TO NEAR RECORD VALUES AGAIN. HAVE UPPER 60S TO MID 70S. THE FRONT WILL BEGIN TO MOVE BACK SOUTH IN THE LATE AFTERNOON OR EVENING AS THE LOW MOVES TO THE NE. HOWEVER WITH WESTERLY FLOW IN THE LOWER ATMOSPHERE...ONLY HAVE LOW POPS ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE DAY. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... COLD FRONT PUSHES SOUTH OVER OUR CWA SUN NIGHT... AND LINGERS OVER THE CAROLINAS ON MON INTO TUE. LOW PRESS FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS WILL BRING ANOTHER COLD FRONT ON TUE TO WED. THIS FRONT WILL LINGER OVER OR NEAR OUR REGION THROUGH THU. THEREFORE CHANCE OF PRECIP CONTINUES THROUGH THIS PERIOD... WITH HIGHER CHANCE ON TUE. TEMPS WILL BE CLOSER TO NORMAL FOR MON AND TUE... 8 TO 12 DEGREES HIGHER THAN NORMAL FOR WED AND THU... BUT CONFIDENCE LOW... AS POSITION AND TIMING OF FRONTAL PASSAGES IS UNCERTAIN ATTM. && .AVIATION /00Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... MVFR CONDS DEVELOP THIS EVENING WITH IFR/LIFR EXPANDING ACROSS THE AREA AS ADVECTION FOG MOVES IN. LITTLE IF ANY RAIN TONIGHT. BEST FOG CHANCES LOOK TO BE NEAR MARINE AREAS GIVEN WARM AIR OVER COOLER WATERS. RAIN WILL SPREAD OVER THE AREA DURING FRIDAY AND MOST TERMINALS WILL LIKELY GO IFR CIGS/VSBY LATE IN THE DAY. IFR LIKELY TO CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY. LOW CIGS...POSSIBLY IFR AT TIMES...MAY PERSIST ACROSS THE REGION SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT WITH EASTERLY SFC FLOW. PERIODS OF RAIN SATURDAY COULD ALSO REDUCE VSBY. IMPROVING CONDITIONS EXPECTED SUNDAY...ALTHOUGH SW WINDS COULD GUST TO 20 KT. SUB-VFR CONDITIONS CONTINUE FOR SUN NIGHT INTO MON DUE TO STALLED FRONT THAT COULD BRING SHOWERS TO THE REGION. && .MARINE... LIGHT SLY WINDS EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY...BUT FOG AND RAIN WILL AFFECT MARINERS AT TIMES THROUGH SATURDAY. A FRONT WILL LINGER NEAR THE AREA SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT...LIKELY RESULTING IN EASTERLY WINDS ON MOST OF THE WATERS...ALTHOUGH DIRECTION IS LOW CONFIDENCE. EXPECTING FAIRLY POOR MIXING AND THUS LOW CHANCES OF SCA CONDITIONS...BUT STRONGER WINDS WILL BE LOCATED ALOFT. THERE WILL BE A BETTER CHANCE OF A SCA ON SUNDAY AS A FRONT LIFTS NORTH AND SW FLOW INCREASES. THE FRONT RETURNING SOUTH COULD ARRIVE AS EARLY AS THE AFTERNOON...BUT MAY HOLD OFF UNTIL EVENING. SCA CONDITIONS WOULD STILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE NW FLOW. SCA CONDITIONS POSSIBLE FOR SUN NIGHT INTO MON AS WINDS COULD REACH SCA CRITERIA WITH LINGERING FRONT OVER OR NEAR OUR AREA. && .TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING... LIGHT SLY FLOW WILL MAINTAIN ELEVATED WATER LEVELS...BUT BELOW MINOR FLOOD THRESHOLDS. && .CLIMATE... ANOMALOUS WARMTH CONTINUES ACROSS THE REGION. BELOW ARE A LIST OF WARM TEMPERATURE RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 24TH-26TH...AS WELL AS MONTHLY WARM TEMPERATURE RECORDS FOR DECEMBER. ALTHOUGH RECORD DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR SATURDAY DECEMBER 26TH LIKELY WON'T BE BROKEN WITH CLOUDS AND RAIN...RECORD DAILY HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURES ARE STILL POSSIBLE AS TEMPERATURES WILL NOT DROP VERY MUCH OVERNIGHT. OF NOTE...THE LOW TEMPERATURE AT DCA SO FAR FOR DECEMBER 24TH IS 60 DEGREES...RECORDED AT 840 AM LST AMIDST LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN SHOWERS AND A WIND BRIEFLY OFF THE COOLER WATER WHICH IS 50 DEGREES. THEREFORE...DCA RECORDED A LOW TEMPERATURE THAT WAS SEVERAL DEGREES COOLER THAN NEARBY BWI AND IAD WHICH ARE AWAY FROM THE WATER. DECEMBER 24TH SITE...RECORD HIGH...RECORD HIGH MIN............... DCA.....71 (2015)*......58 (1891).................. *BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 69 SET IN 1933.......... BWI.....71 (2015)*......53 (1891).................. *BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 65 SET IN 1990 AND 1982. IAD.....71 (2015)*......42 (2014/1979)............. *BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 66 SET IN 1982.......... DECEMBER 25TH SITE...RECORD HIGH...RECORD HIGH MIN............... DCA.....72 (1964).......49 (1987).................. BWI.....72 (1964).......48 (1964).................. IAD.....71 (1982/1964)..50 (1982).................. DECEMBER 26TH SITE...RECORD HIGH...RECORD HIGH MIN............... DCA.....72 (1889).......52 (1982).................. BWI.....73 (1964/1889)..51 (1964/1889)............. IAD.....71 (1964).......51 (1982/1964)............. DECEMBER MONTHLY RECORDS (WARMEST INDIVIDUAL DAYS) SITE...RECORD MONTHLY HIGH...............RECORD MONTHLY HIGH MIN... DCA...79 (12/07/1998).........................59 (12/05/1973)...... BWI...77 (12/06/1998,12/07/1998,12/29/1984)...62 (12/22/2013)...... IAD...79 (12/06/1998).........................62 (12/22/2013)...... DECEMBER RANKINGS (AVERAGE TEMPERATURE THROUGH DECEMBER 23RD) DCA 1) 49.6 (2015) 49.6 (2001) BWI 1) 46.9 (2015) 2) 46.8 (1931) IAD 1) 46.5 (2015) 2) 45.9 (1998) && .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DC...NONE. MD...NONE. VA...NONE. WV...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...BAJ/RCM NEAR TERM...BAJ/RCM SHORT TERM...ADS LONG TERM...IMR AVIATION...BAJ/ADS/IMR/RCM MARINE...BAJ/ADS/IMR/RCM TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...BAJ CLIMATE...DFH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 640 PM EST THU DEC 24 2015 ANZ530>543-DCZ001-MDZ011-013-014-016>018-508-VAZ052>057-251245- CHESAPEAKE BAY NORTH OF POOLES ISLAND MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM POOLES ISLAND TO SANDY POINT MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SANDY POINT TO NORTH BEACH MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM NORTH BEACH TO DRUM POINT MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM DRUM POINT MD TO SMITH POINT VA- TIDAL POTOMAC FROM KEY BRIDGE TO INDIAN HEAD MD- TIDAL POTOMAC FROM INDIAN HEAD TO COBB ISLAND MD- TIDAL POTOMAC FROM COBB ISLAND MD TO SMITH POINT VA- PATAPSCO RIVER INCLUDING BALTIMORE HARBOR- CHESTER RIVER TO QUEENSTOWN MD-EASTERN BAY- CHOPTANK RIVER TO CAMBRIDGE MD AND THE LITTLE CHOPTANK RIVER- PATUXENT RIVER TO BROOMES ISLAND MD- TANGIER SOUND AND THE INLAND WATERS SURROUNDING BLOODSWORTH ISLAND-DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-SOUTHERN BALTIMORE-PRINCE GEORGES- ANNE ARUNDEL-CHARLES-ST. MARYS-CALVERT-SOUTHEAST HARFORD- PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK-FAIRFAX- ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA-STAFFORD-SPOTSYLVANIA- KING GEORGE- 640 PM EST THU DEC 24 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE MARYLAND PORTION OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY...TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER...AND ADJACENT COUNTIES IN CENTRAL MARYLAND AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA AS WELL AS THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. MDZ003>006-501>507-VAZ025>031-036>040-050-051-501>508-WVZ050>053- 055-501>506-251245- WASHINGTON-FREDERICK MD-CARROLL-NORTHERN BALTIMORE- EXTREME WESTERN ALLEGANY-CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALLEGANY- NORTHWEST MONTGOMERY-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MONTGOMERY- NORTHWEST HOWARD-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST HOWARD-NORTHWEST HARFORD- AUGUSTA-ROCKINGHAM-SHENANDOAH-FREDERICK VA-PAGE-WARREN-CLARKE- NELSON-ALBEMARLE-GREENE-MADISON-RAPPAHANNOCK-ORANGE-CULPEPER- NORTHERN FAUQUIER-SOUTHERN FAUQUIER-WESTERN HIGHLAND- EASTERN HIGHLAND-WESTERN LOUDOUN-EASTERN LOUDOUN- NORTHERN VA BLUE RIDGE-CENTRAL VA BLUE RIDGE-HAMPSHIRE-MORGAN- BERKELEY-JEFFERSON-HARDY-WESTERN GRANT-EASTERN GRANT- WESTERN MINERAL-EASTERN MINERAL-WESTERN PENDLETON- EASTERN PENDLETON- 640 PM EST THU DEC 24 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA... NORTHERN AND CENTRAL VIRGINIA...AND CENTRAL AND WESTERN MARYLAND WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GARRETT COUNTY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
13 dense fog. Local standard time, as filed.
Reduced visibilities of one quarter mile or less were reported at FRR.
Reduced visibilities of one quarter mile or less were reported at CJR.
W13 reported reduced visibilities of one quarter mile or less.
Reduced visibilities of one quarter mile or less were reported at RMN and NYG.
OKV reported reduced visibilities of one quarter mile or less.
Reduced visibilities of one quarter mile or less were reported at JYO.
Reduced visibilities of one quarter mile or less were reported at GVE.
Reduced visibilities of one quarter mile or less were reported at HWY.
Reduced visibilities of one quarter mile or less were reported at 8W2.
Reduced visibilities of one quarter mile or less were reported at IAD.
Reduced visibilities of one quarter mile or less were reported at HEF.
Reduced visibilities of one quarter mile or less were reported at DCA.
Reduced visibilities of one quarter mile or less were reported at LUA.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, December 2015
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 610340, 610342, 610336, 610346, 610337, 610348, 610341, 610347, 610338, 610344, 610343, 610345, 610339.