What is winter like in D.C. metro area

[musincy]

Winters here aren't that bad. Nobody here knows how to drive in the snow, unfortunately, and we do get several icy storms each year. Coming from NY, I think you'll find the winters here fairly mild.

[cpterp]

Originally Posted by musincy

Winters here aren't that bad. Nobody here knows how to drive in the snow, unfortunately, and we do get several icy storms each year. Coming from NY, I think you'll find the winters here fairly mild.

I don't know, my dad used to live in NY and says winters here are basically the same. You are right about people here not being able to drive though haha.

[songstress76]

NYC weather is COMPLETELY different than DC. I'm from the NY area.DC has much milder winters and warmer summers. The weather in DC is pretty close to that of Raleigh/Durham area. It is the mid-atlantic and the weather is "mid-atlantic-ish."Mild winters. Typically 1-3 snows per winter where NYC gets more like 25-30 inches per year, DC gets about 10. That is less than HALF the snow of NYC. DC typically has 1-3 snows that are less than 7 inches and it melts within a few days. Also, it can get pretty cold, however, it can also get pretty warm. DC has those times where you get hight 60s in the winter, then there are times when you get 20s. BUT, when you get 20s, you're getting 20s-30s in the south as well. When it's COLD in DC it is typically COLD in Carolina, Atlanta etc etc. I went to Atlanta for the weekend in January and it was snowing and cold and it was 40s and no snow in DC.

[cpterp]

Originally Posted by songstress76

NYC weather is COMPLETELY different than DC. I'm from the NY area.DC has much milder winters and warmer summers. The weather in DC is pretty close to that of Raleigh/Durham area. It is the mid-atlantic and the weather is "mid-atlantic-ish."Mild winters. Typically 1-3 snows per winter where NYC gets more like 25-30 inches per year, DC gets about 10. That is less than HALF the snow of NYC. DC typically has 1-3 snows that are less than 7 inches and it melts within a few days. Also, it can get pretty cold, however, it can also get pretty warm. DC has those times where you get hight 60s in the winter, then there are times when you get 20s. BUT, when you get 20s, you're getting 20s-30s in the south as well. When it's COLD in DC it is typically COLD in Carolina, Atlanta etc etc. I went to Atlanta for the weekend in January and it was snowing and cold and it was 40s and no snow in DC.

My family is partly from NY so I'm familiar with the weather there. (Does it even snow in Raleigh?) Don't know where you got your facts, but on average DC has only 4-6 inches less snow than NY, and is usually only about 2-3 degrees warmer at anytime. Plus, New York is closer to the Atlantic and barely above sea level. Not to mention that DC is closer to NY by a good 50 miles.

[StOrM666]

Originally Posted by davistt

My wife and I are getting out of upstate NY and away from the 90+ inches of snow per year.

Washington is one of our choices for various reasons, although we realize that the winter isn't as mild as it is further south.

But how bad is it?

Where we are now it's just plain cold from the middle of November until the middle of March.

I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts - especially from anyone that used to live further up north.

Thats funny, I had some fool from Rochester tell me that there is not 5 - 6 month of winter up there.

The winter in the DC are is pretty mild. WHEN it shows its usually melted in a weeks time at most. You can wear shorts well into October.

You will be lucky to have a White Christmas in the DC metro area. Its far warmer than upstate NY.

[Stephen 81]

Originally Posted by cpterp

My family is partly from NY so I'm familiar with the weather there. (Does it even snow in Raleigh?) Don't know where you got your facts, but on average DC has only 4-6 inches less snow than NY, and is usually only about 2-3 degrees warmer at anytime. Plus, New York is closer to the Atlantic and barely above sea level. Not to mention that DC is closer to NY by a good 50 miles.

I completely agree with you, cpterp. It does snow in Raleigh, but so irregularly that the city didn't have snow plows when I went to college in the Triangle (and that was earlier this decade). In the winter, Raleigh-Durham has loads of 50+ degree days, and the temperature rarely goes below 25 at night. DC is definitely closer to NYC, both distance- and weather-wise. I mean, DC weather is between NYC and RDU weather, but that should be self-evident from looking at a map of the East Coast.

[TheseGoTo11]

Biggest difference vs. NYC area is late winter/early spring. Avg high temp difference between here and there grows from about 4 degrees mid-Jan to 7 degrees early March. March baseball leagues are far more viable here than up there.

If you're comparing to upstate NY, then there is no comparison.