|
... History of Big Winter Storms ...
Winter storms are labeled "deceptive killers" because most deaths
are indirectly related to the storm. About 70% of deaths occur in traffic
accidents on icy roads. The rest are often attributed to heart attacks from
overexertion, or prolonged exposure to the cold. By being prepared, and taking
extra caution during the winter, deaths can be prevented.
Noreasters.....
The most powerful storms to impact the Mid Atlantic Region in winter are
"Nor'easters." Tracking along the coast, these storms cause strong northeast
winds which create wind and water damage sometimes similar to category one
hurricanes. The strong winds drive large waves onshore, eroding beaches and
flooding shorelines. Cold high pressure is usually centered over Quebec or
northern New England, providing a rich source of cold, dry air into the Mid
Atlantic states. Heavy snowfall, sleet, and wind seriously hamper travel, and
cause power outages.
Forecasting these storms and what weather the region will receive can be
difficult. The heaviest snow generally occurs in a band around 50 miles wide.
To the east of that heavy snow, it changes to a mixture of ice and then rain.
To the west of the band, snowfall amounts are significantly less. That means
that by just moving the center of the storm 50 miles to the east or west will
completely change the type and severity of the weather received.
Historical Big Snowstorms in
Washington, DC............
The biggest unofficial snow (before official records began) was in January
1772 when as much as 36 inches (3 feet) may have fallen in the Washington
DC-Baltimore area. It has been called the Washington-Jefferson snowstorm
because it was recorded in both of their diaries.
Average
annual snowfall
DC Baltimore Dulles
18.2" 19.8" 21.2"
Frequencies
of snowfall (amounts vs. occurrences per year)
DC Baltimore Dulles
≥ 1" 4.6 times 5
times 5.1
times
≥ 2" 2.8
times 3.3 times 3.4 times
≥ 4" 1.2
times 1.4 times 1.7 times
≥ 6" 0.5
times (1 in 2) 0.6 times 0.7 times
≥ 8" 0.3 times (1 in 3) 0.3 times 0.4
times
≥ 10" 0.1 times (1 in 10) 0.2 times 0.2
times
Number of ≥ 12"
snowstorms
DC
(since 1870) Baltimore (since 1870) Dulles
(since 1962)
13 times 20
times 7
times
Dulles:
≥ 14" has an occurrence of 1 in 9.
In the greater DC area there were NO ≥ 8" snowfalls between 1900-08,
'09-17, '42-57, '67-78, and '88-95.
DC has reported one ≥ 24" snowfall in its history - the "Knickerbocker Storm"
of Jan 27-28, 1922. During this storm
the weight of the snow caused the roof of the Knickerbocker Theater in DC to collapse,
killing 98 people and injuring 133.
The
greatest three day snowfalls on record:
DC Baltimore Dulles
28" Jan 1922 26.8"
Feb 2003 24.6" Jan
1996
20" Feb 13+14 1899 26.6"
Jan 1996 22.8" Feb
1983
18.7" Feb 1979 26.5"
Jan 1922 21.7" Feb
2003
17.3" Jan 1996 22.8"
Feb 1983 16.3" Feb
1979
16.6" Feb 1983 22.0"
Mar 1942 14.1" Mar
1993
16.4" Feb 2003 21.3"
Feb 1899 12.1" Dec
1979
15.0" Jan 1918 20.0"
Feb 1979 12.0" Feb
1987
14.4" Feb 1958 15.5"
Feb 1958 11.8" Feb 1967
14.4" Feb 1936 14.9"
Jan 2000 11.6" Feb
1972
14.3" Feb 1900 14.3"
Jan 1928 11.4" Dec
1967
13.8" Jan 1966 14.1"
Dec 1960 11.1" Jan
1987
12.7" Feb 5-7, 1899 13.1"
Feb 2006 10.6" Dec
1982
Links
to daily weather maps of those heavy snow events:
Feb
1899
Jan
1922
Feb
1936
March
1942
Feb
1958
Jan
1966
Feb
1979
Feb
1983
Jan
1996
Feb
2003
Snowiest
month ever
DC Baltimore Dulles
35.2" Feb 1899 40.5"
Feb 2003 34.9" Feb
2003
Least
annual snowfalls on record
DC Baltimore Dulles
.1" 1972-73, 1997-98 .7"
1949/50 2.2"
1972/73
Earliest
recorded measurable snowfall
DC Baltimore Dulles
.3" Oct 10, 1979 .3"
Oct 10, 1979 1.3" Oct
10, 1979
Latest
measurable snowfall
.5" April 28, 1898 .1"
April 28, 1898 1.0"
April 12, 1973
Ice Storms
...................
Because of the warm waters of the Gulf Stream just off our eastern shore, it
is typical for the rain-snow line to right across Baltimore and Washington.
When a storm strikes, southeast of the city often sees rain or a mixture of
snow and ice turning to rain and areas to the northwest of the city typically
gets more snow, sometimes mixing with ice (sleet and freezing rain). A total
ice storm, however, is much less common. February 1994 proved that this region
can get big ice storms. Ice storms are more likely to happen in January or
February than in December or March. An essential component of an ice storm is
for sub freezing air to be trapped at the surface, and this is more common
during mid winter.
The winter of 1993-1994 was one of the iciest winters on record. Repeated
storms from January into early March produced between 19 and 23 days of icy
precipitation over greater metropolitan area. The worst storm struck on
February 10-11, 1994 just from Fredericksburg into Southern Maryland. Freezing
rain caused a thick glaze of ice across trees, power and phone lines and roads.
Travel was extremely hazardous. Trees and utility lines fell under the weight
of the ice. Some people were left without power and heat for up to two weeks
due to the extent of the damage. This storm warranted a Presidential Disaster
declaration for a swath of devastation from ice that stretched from Tennessee
to Delaware. Damage to Maryland was estimated at over $20 million.
In February 1998, an ice storm hit Skyline Drive. Up to five inches of ice
accumulated. So many trees came down that Shenandoah National Park had to be
closed for up to two months to clear the debris!
Last sub zero days
DC Baltimore Dulles
-4 1/19/1994 -1
2/5/1996 -9 2/6/1996*
*Dulles reached zero on 1/17/2009
Sub zero temperatures are relatively
rare in the Baltimore-Washington area.
From 1960-2009 Washington DC had temperatures below zero four times.
Baltimore
had below zero temperatures twenty times
From 1962-2009 Dulles Airport had below zero temperatures fifty-four times,
although none since 1996
|
weather.gov 
