Typically, when does the worst snow hit?

[Denton56]

Originally Posted by letitbeirie

Ice is the thing to worry about in DC. In 1996 we got 30 some odd inches of snow (Jan?) and school was closed for 3 days. The year before, we got an inch of ice (Mar) and they were closed for two weeks.

The ice remained for two weeks? I do not remember that! I didn't know that it ever stayed below freezing for 2 weeks!

I remember a big snow that closed schools for a week or more in the mid 90's, but not ice closing schools for that long. The big snow meant the kids had to go to school for an extra 30 minutes for the last couple of months of school. It was terrible for active little boys, much too long a school day.

[CAVA1990]

I remember the ice storm. It glazed all the trees and power lines causing a bunch of them to fall. The subsequent loss of power in many areas was really bad because the furnaces no longer worked. As I recall the temps also dropped to an all time low, way below zero. I'll take snow over ice.

[FireDog40]

It seems like I should be fine, but we can never know!

[cdmurphy]

Originally Posted by Denton56

The ice remained for two weeks? I do not remember that! I didn't know that it ever stayed below freezing for 2 weeks!

I remember a big snow that closed schools for a week or more in the mid 90's, but not ice closing schools for that long. The big snow meant the kids had to go to school for an extra 30 minutes for the last couple of months of school. It was terrible for active little boys, much too long a school day.

Maybe letitbeirie meant 1994, not 1995. From Winter Snow & Cold: Ice Storms (National Weather Service Baltimore/Washington):

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.

[letitbeirie]

Originally Posted by cdmurphy

Maybe letitbeirie meant 1994, not 1995. From Winter Snow & Cold: Ice Storms (National Weather Service Baltimore/Washington):

Yeah it must have been. I just remember that my middle school in Fairfax (which I was in from 1993-1995) had to extend each period 6 minutes to make up for the time we missed because we were almost out of snow days already when the storm hit. If I remember right, the big ice storm hit, then it got cold, then a few days later before the ice had melted it iced again or snowed or something.