Washington, D.C. Braces for More Snow as Totals Continue to Mount

Washington, D.C. has experienced its snowiest winter in six years with forecasters warning that more snow is on the horizon. Here is a look at what type of winter the nation's capital has seen thus far and what you can expect as the season reaches the end.

Washington, D.C. in the Middle of the Snowiest Winter in Years

It has been a great winter for snow lovers in Washington, D.C. The latest weather event this week made it the snowiest winter for the district since the 2018 - 2019 season. And forecasters are predicting that yet another snowstorm could head toward this part of the East Coast by next week.

The snowy winter has been a stark difference when compared to the past two seasons. Just two years ago, the district recorded less than an inch of snow over the course of the entire season.

A major snow event impacted Washington, D.C. and its environs this past week, cancelling school and bringing life to a halt. Reagan National Airport reported about 6 inches of snow from Tuesday and into Wednesday. This snowfall sent the seasonal total to 14.8 inches. This total is good enough to make it the snowiest season since 2018 - 2019 when 16.9 inches of snow was recorded. The midweek storm also made this month the snowiest February since the year 2015 when a total of 9.8 inches was recorded.

While the capital certainly got its fair share of flakes out of the last system, it was even snowier to the south and west of the city. Some surrounding communities saw snowfall accumulate to the tune of over a foot.

For instance, snow reached an accumulation of 14.5 inches in Iron Gate, Virginia. Neighboring Fairlea, West Virginia reported 14.5 inches. Over in Maryland, the town of Clements recorded 11.3 inches.

The region to the south saw a good swath of freezing rain develop. This ice resulted in about 175,000 power outages across southern Virginia by Wednesday morning. Roughly half of the residential homes and businesses in Prince Edward, Amelia, and Powhatan counties lost power at the hands of this storm.

Washington, D.C. was not only the busy urban center along the Interstate 95 corridor that saw significant snow out of this system. Philadelphia came in with 4.6 inches of snow while 1.8 inches was reported in New York City.

What is Next for the Washington, D.C. Area?

There will be no rest for the storm-weary in Washington, D.C. More winter storms are looming for the area this weekend and into the middle of next week. A surge of Arctic air diving down from Canada and into the northern Plains will spread to the east next week, laying the groundwork for the possibility of more significant snow for the eastern U.S.

While forecasters are relatively certain that Washington, D.C. will see some of these unseasonably cold temperatures, the bigger question is how much energy the cold air will have to work with.

Looking at the specific forecast for Washington, D.C., the rain will be back in the picture for the weekend after a dry and sunny end to the work week. The district is forecast to see rain developing later Saturday afternoon, amounting to about a half of an inch. Another half of an inch is in the forecast for the overnight hours and into Sunday. Rain showers will linger on Sunday morning.

Temperatures this weekend are expected to reach 40 degrees on Saturday before climbing into the upper 50s on Sunday. Unfortunately, the warmer temperatures to end the weekend will come at the expense of windy conditions. The forecast is calling for winds out of the southwest at 15 to 25 mph on Sunday with the potential of higher gusts.

Heading into next week, Washington, D.C. is anticipating another dry pattern on Monday and Tuesday. However, change is on the way by Wednesday as the city sees its next chance for winter weather. While the forecast may change, the latest models indicate that the capital will see 1 to 3 inches of snow out of this system during the day on Wednesday, another inch of accumulation in the overnight hours, and 1 to 3 more inches on Thursday.

The Arctic air will also arrive by the middle of the week, bringing the mercury down from a high of about 40 degrees on Monday to readings that struggle to break out of the mid 20s for highs by Wednesday. Winds will also likely pick up on Thursday.

Stay tuned as this forecast becomes more precise in the days ahead.

Impact of Weather on Washington, D.C. Cherry Blossoms

One of the biggest draws to Washington D.C. during the early spring months is the annual blooming of the cherry blossom trees. These beautiful pink blooms line the Tidal Basin in the heart of the district. On average, the blossoms begin to show their colors around the end of March and into the beginning of April.

People come from all over the world to see these beauties, hoping to catch them in peak bloom. It is impossible to predict the peak bloom as the weather leading up to this time greatly impacts the timing. Most peak bloom predictions are issued at the end of February. Peak bloom is defined as the time in which 70% of the blossoms on the trees are open.

The cherry blossom trees were a gift from Japan in 1912, symbolizing the friendship between the two countries. The annual blooming of the trees also symbolizes the beginning of the spring season in Washington, D.C.

While snow does not typically impact when the blooms will arrive, the cold temperatures do affect this timing. A colder winter translates to a later blooming season. The mild winters of the past two years have resulted in an earlier bloom for the trees. January was particularly cold this year in Washington, D.C. with temperatures hovering about 5 degrees below the historical average.

The cherry trees are driven by warmer temperatures. If the warmth happens during the typical bloom cycle, this cycle will begin earlier and accelerate. Conversely, the bloom cycle may be delayed if cooler temperatures linger. Only time will tell how the blossoms behave this year.

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