Winter Weather in District of Columbia
Every winter weather event the National Weather Service has filed in District of Columbia, year by year, with the most significant episodes. Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
The most significant on the map
The most significant winter weather episodes in District of Columbia.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 88
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Damage
- None recorded
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, January 9, 1997The first city-wide winter weather event of the 1996/97 season spread a mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain across the city during the daylight hours of the 9th.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, December 23 to 24, 1998A cold front swept across the Washington D.C. area on the 22nd of December, ushering in sub-freezing air that set the stage for a mixed bag of precipitation the following day.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, January 8 to 9, 1999An area of low pressure over Ohio brought a variety of precipitation to the Washington D.C. area. Precipitation started off as snow around 6 AM on the 8th.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, January 20, 2000An area of low pressure moved from west to east across the Mid-Atlantic region on the 20th, dropping light snow between midnight and mid-afternoon. Gusty winds of 35 to 45 MPH developed during the afternoon causing the snow to drift across roadways and reduce visibilities.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, December 13 to 14, 2000A strong cold front brought chilly air into the region on the 12th. By the afternoon of the 13th, an upper level disturbance brought warm air into the mid levels of the atmosphere and caused snow that fell from the system to melt to rain on its way down.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, December 19, 2000Low pressure moved across the region on the 19th and produced periods of light snow between 11 AM and 8 PM. A total of 2 inches of snow was reported at Washington Reagan National Airport and 1.5 inches was reported at the National Arboretum.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, January 21, 2001A complex low pressure system moved across the Mid-Atlantic region on the 20th and 21st and brought a mixed bag of precipitation. Rain that began on the 20th changed to sleet and snow during the early morning hours of the 21st.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, February 22, 2001Low pressure moved from the mid Mississippi Valley into the southern portion of the Mid Atlantic region on the 22nd. This system produced mainly light to moderate snowfall across the region between 9 AM and 10 PM.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, January 19, 2002Low pressure that moved across North Carolina on the 19th brought mixed precipitation to the Washington D.C. metropolitan area between 8 AM and 11 PM. The precipitation started off in the form of snow, then changed to a mix of sleet and rain around midday.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, December 4 to 5, 2003An area of low pressure moved across the region on the 4th and 5th. This system produced light snow acrossthe District. Snowfall totals averaged 1 to 2 inches. Several minor non-life threatening accidents were reported.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, December 5 to 6, 2003A second storm developed quickly on the heels of the first winter storm. This system affected the region from the evening of the 5th through the morning of the 6th. This storm produced another 1 to 2 inches of snow across the District.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, December 14, 2003An area of low pressure developed over the Gulf Coast region and tracked northeast into the Mid Atlantic region.The storm produced a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain. Snowfall totals across the District averaged 2 to 4 inches.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, January 5, 2003A weak area of low pressure moved through the region on the 5th. It dropped around 3 inches of snow on the District between 6 AM and 7 PM. The snow caused roads and bridges to become very slippery. Several traffic accidents were reported across the metropolitan area.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, February 26 to 28, 2003A series of low pressure systems that tracked from the Gulf Coast to Cape Hatteras dropped light snow off and on between the morning of the 26th and midday on the 28th.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, January 26 to 27, 2004A weak area of low pressure moved across the region on the 26th and 27th. This brought a second round of freezing rain and snow to the area. One tenth inch of ice accumulated in portions of the District.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, January 8 to 9, 2004An area of low pressure moved across Central Virginia and produced one to two inches of snow over Northern Virginia with lesser amounts over the District of Columbia and North Central Maryland.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, January 17 to 18, 2004Two areas of low pressure merged over the region, and produced a mix of snow and freezing rain. Snowfall amounts for the Metropolitan area ranged from one quarter to two inches. There were also reports of one tenth inch of ice accumulation.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, February 5 to 6, 2004A low pressure system brought freezing rain and sleet to the Washington Metropolitan area. A light glaze formed on some surfaces. This led to school closures and a few automobile accidents. On a separate note, temperatures warmed well above freezing on Saturday the 7th.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, December 5 to 6, 2005A significant winter storm occurred across portions of the Mid-Atlantic on the 5th and 6th of December. The wintry weather was caused by a low pressure system that was located over the southeast states, which then moved off the North Carolina coast on the 6th.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, December 9, 2005A major winter storm impacted the Mid-Atlantic Region on the 8th and 9th. A coastal low pressure storm developed off the southeast coast, meanwhile a strong upper-level storm moved from the Ohio Valley to the Eastern Great Lakes.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, December 5, 2007An Alberta Clipper system moved quickly across the Mid Atlantic on December 5th. This was the first snow of the season for much of the region. This storm caused significant traffic impacts during the morning commute across the Washington DC metro area.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, February 6 to 7, 2007A fast-moving clipper system moved over the Mid Atlantic during the evening hours of February 6th through early morning on February 7th. Between one and two inches of snow was reported across Washington DC.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, March 7, 2007A strong clipper system developed over the Great Lakes March 6th and dove south across the Mid Atlantic on March 7th. Snow began along the western edge of the Allegheny Front shortly after midnight on March 7th and spread east overnight.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, January 17 to 18, 2008An area of low pressure moved northeast from the central Gulf of Mexico off the North Carolina on January 17th. Precipitation began as snow before warmer air moved in aloft. This changed snow to a mix of sleet and freezing rain and ended as freezing drizzle.
- Winter Weather in District of Columbia, February 22, 2008Low pressure across the Gulf of Mexico spread snow across the region during the overnight hours February 21st and continued through the morning of February 22nd. Warm air moved in aloft, causing snow to mix with and change over to sleet and freezing rain.
More
Winter Weather everywhereEvery kind of event in District of Columbia
Sources
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 2026-09-30.