What is winter like in D.C. metro area (Washington: to live in, vs.)

[cpterp]

Well, since everyone (understandably) seems to have a different opinion I'm gonna post some cold, hard, objective data from NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration based in Silver Spring, MD) obtained here: Snowfall - Average Total In Inches.

Average snowfall per annum in inches

In the Northeast:
Local:
Washington D.C. (DCA)- 16.6
Washington D.C. (IAD)- 22.3
Baltimore/Washington (BWI)- 20.8

Philadelphia- 20.5
Pittsburgh- 43.0
Newark- 27.6
New York (JFK)- 22.7
New York (LGA)- 26.0
Providence- 35.5
Boston- 42.2
Portland, ME- 70.4

In the South:
Richmond, VA- 13.8
Memphis, TN- 5.1
Charlotte, NC- 5.5
Atlanta, GA- 2.1
New Orleans, LA- 0.2
Orlando, FL- None

Midwest:
Denver, Co- 60.3
Detroit, MI- 41.1
Chicago, IL- 38.5
Indianapolis- 23.6

Elevation and proximity to large bodies of water are major determiningfactors of snowfall, as can be seen in Pittsburgh having twice the snowfall of Philly. Snowfall along the Mid-Atlantic portion of the NE coastal corridor between DC and NYC have very similar snowfall patterns. Bittinger in Garret County, MD and Frostburg in Alleghany County, MD gets 104 and 89.50 inches respectively (the highest in MD) while Salisbury located close to the sea on the ES in Worcester County only gets a paltry 8.2 inches.(These are median snowfall data from the University of Maryland: Annual snowfall totals for various Maryland stations)

[moved]

I grew in the DC metro area, worked for the feds, and hated the weather, the feds, and living there. I finally sold/gave away all my stuff, quit my job, packed my car, and moved to Tucson. I was there 1 1/2 years, then moved to San Diego.

You just can't beat the winters here. No snow, sleet, or freezing rain. Most of the time it's in the 60's and sunny - you can wear shorts, t-shirts and sandals until about 3:00pm when it starts cooling off.

[j_cat]

DC's not cold. It has a winter, but not a winter of any intensity. They grow palmettos in Virginia Beach, for Pete's sake! And we're only slightly up the coast from there. Of course I grew up in Phoenix and couldn't wait to get out, so my experience is skewed, just like anyone else's.

[jam5]

Our winters are frequently cold enough to prevent Spanish moss from permanently draping the trees around here...

[jfields]

Being that I'm from California, I say that the winters in DC are hell; but they aren't as bad as upstate NY. Usually temps drop to the lower 20's at night and get up to the lower-mid 40's in the day. Way to damn cold for me, but better than NY. I've also spent winters in Seattle and in Western Massachusets. DC winters are colder than Seattle but milder than Massachusets.

[cpterp]

Originally Posted by j_cat

DC's not cold. It has a winter, but not a winter of any intensity. They grow palmettos in Virginia Beach, for Pete's sake! And we're only slightly up the coast from there. Of course I grew up in Phoenix and couldn't wait to get out, so my experience is skewed, just like anyone else's.

You should have been in DC on Inauguration Day. I think we've seen single digits this past winter in the daytime in DC. Granted that's rare, and our winter are short. Also, VA Beach is not "slightly up the coast" (it takes the same time to get there as it does NYC), plus being so close to the water it is probably 5-10 degrees warmer on average than it would be inland, addition to the 5-10 degrees warmer than DC for being further south.

I'm not saying DC is Chicago harsh, but it would definitely not be mild for a SoCal or Florida resident.

[TheseGoTo11]

Snow totals don't tell as much as days with snow cover. Snow never seems to last here the way it did when I lived in Boston, and could go 6 weeks without seeing a blade of grass.

New England meterologists are getting big on "SDDs" or snow depth days, which is the number of inches on the ground each day added up for the season. This is a big deal if you live someplace like Denver, which gets the same amount of snow as Boston, but far less snow depth days because it melts more quickly there. By that measure, I would guess we come out about 80% less than Boston, while our actual snow totals are about 60% less.

[Mrs. 14th & You]

I lived in Saratoga Springs, NY for 3-1/2 winters. I've since returned to DC, where I grew up. I remember having 100+ in. of snow in the winter of '02-'03. I also recall it being so cold that I couldn't unbend the wires on my X-mas lights to take them off the front porch. As well, there was the daily de-icing of my car. I have encountered nothing close to this in DC.

Generally, we get three to four good snows that stick in the DC area. The 16" annual snowfall is somewhat deceptive, because a lot of that melts as soon as it hits the extensive expanses of pavement. Whereas along the Northway, winter begins in late October, you get at least one more mild month in DC. Consistent cold temps don't come until Jan. in some years, and we often get a "false spring," one freak 60-70 degree day in mid Jan. Just as fall is longer, spring comes sooner. You can generally count on consistent spells of nice days during which you can go without a jacket by April.

We also get a few more average days of sunshine than most parts of northern and western NY. If the low light in winter affects you, this can help. Being further south, you'll get about a half hour more of daylight in the darkest days of Dec. Not everyone cares, but to me it makes a difference.

You will see more road icing in DC than Upstate. Our temps tend to hover around the freezing mark, making sleet and freezing rain more common. We're also just terrible at clearing the roads and accepting the risks that come with driving in winter weather. The DC area gets as many snow days if not more than the Saratoga Springs school district. The quality of the driving here due to the congestion and inexperience will make an experience snow driver go nuts, though.

[Mrs. 14th & You]

I've lived through almost all of the storms you mentioned. (Wasn't here yet in '79, was living in Upstate NY in '03.) I think your post could be used to argue it the other way; we get a snow storm worth mentioning about once a decade.

[mathpianist93]

Originally Posted by cpterp

We have the worst of both worlds--hot summers and cold winters, and global warming is just aggravating the problem (it causes harsher winters as well as hot summers).

Generally, the weather isn't all that different from the other Mid-Atlantic towns--Philly, Balt, NYC, but if you're coming from Buffalo or Maine you'll love the winter, and if you're coming from the Carolinas or SoCal, or Florida you'll hate the winters. Single digits are commonplace in Jan. Just yesterday (May 19) there was an overnight frost warning with morning temperatures in the mid-30's for MD and DC. Some areas in the DC Metro exurbs such as Western MD (which is waay out in the mountains), see feet of snow into March.

True about the perception; also have to take into consideration each person's bodies.

as a suburban resident for nearly my whole life:
Single digits are not common... >.<
Averages for Dec, Jan, and Feb: 47/32, 42/27, 47/30. So it's really not that bad. If you only ask for 50 degree temps, then you will be satisfied often. I consider the cold rain to be more annoying than anything else.

Frosts/freezes: tend to arrive in early November (late October in suburbs), and tend to leave altogether in April.

Snow: don't even think about outside of December to February.
Freezing rain: an annoyance that usually happens each winter.