# Where's the D.C. snow? feb 15 **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 15, 2017, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-d-c-snow-feb-15/779921 "2017-02-15T17:38:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![virtually\_yours](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a587f6/32.png) [@virtually\_yours](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/virtually_yours)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-d-c-snow-feb-15/779921/1 "2017-02-15T17:38:34Z")
Forgive my ignorance, but I always thought around this time there would be snow or at least biting cold in washington dc around this time of year. When I see live coverage of the president outside the white house it looks all sunny (not that there should be no sun at all of course) and not too chilly seeing as they are not wearing warming hats or anything nor trying to get inside. Isnt it supposed to be very cold up there now with a lot of snow on the ground? hmmm? virtually yours, Virtually Yours ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-d-c-snow-feb-15/779921/2 "2017-02-15T17:45:40Z")
This has been a very mild winter in DC. Here’s an interesting article about how DC weather patterns have changed since Washington’s time. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-d-c-snow-feb-15/779921/3 "2017-02-15T17:46:23Z")
I’ve lived here 8 years and I can’t recall a warmer winter. Normally there’d be intermittent snow, with a few big snowstorms (and occasionally a blizzard). We’ve had dustings and that’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-d-c-snow-feb-15/779921/4 "2017-02-15T18:01:44Z")
We don’t get a whole lot of snow piling up most years. Typically, it will snow a few times in winter, usually no more than a few inches, then it melts after a few days. There have been a few giant storms in the last few years, with like two feet of snow in each, but those storms are really, really unusual. ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-d-c-snow-feb-15/779921/5 "2017-02-15T18:37:45Z")
They used it all up last year. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-d-c-snow-feb-15/779921/6 "2017-02-15T18:45:02Z")
All the snow fell Down East … ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-d-c-snow-feb-15/779921/7 "2017-02-15T18:53:49Z")
The lack of snow and warmer than usual temperatures in Washington D. C. were created by the Chinese to make U.S. government non-functional. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-d-c-snow-feb-15/779921/8 "2017-02-15T18:58:43Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > This has been a very mild winter in DC. Here’s an interesting article about how DC weather patterns have changed since Washington’s time. Really ? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-d-c-snow-feb-15/779921/9 "2017-02-15T20:24:39Z")
Sorry, forgot the link [https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/george-washington-would-recognize-todays-mount-vernon-garden-but-not-the-weather/2017/02/14/8538a71a-ea58-11e6-bf6f-301b6b443624\_story.html?hpid=hp\_local-news\_mountvernon-815am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm\_term=.4327336a14d9](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/george-washington-would-recognize-todays-mount-vernon-garden-but-not-the-weather/2017/02/14/8538a71a-ea58-11e6-bf6f-301b6b443624_story.html?hpid=hp_local-news_mountvernon-815am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.4327336a14d9) ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-d-c-snow-feb-15/779921/10 "2017-02-15T21:32:36Z")
When you say ‘up there’ are you confusing Washington, DC (which is between Maryland and Virginia) with the state of Washington (which is on the Canadian border)? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-d-c-snow-feb-15/779921/11 "2017-02-15T21:38:32Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > When you say ‘up there’ are you confusing Washington, DC (which is between Maryland and Virginia) with the state of Washington (which is on the Canadian border)? And only eastern Washington State generally gets much snow, although this winter is an exception. My impression of DC is that it barely has a winter. You want snow, come up here to Montreal, where it is coming out of our ears. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-d-c-snow-feb-15/779921/12 "2017-02-15T22:45:47Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > My impression of DC is that it barely has a winter. You want snow, come up here to Montreal, where it is coming out of our ears. I’ve not lived in the DC area, but I have several friends who do (or who have in the past). My understanding is that the area gets a few snowfalls a year, and periods of cold (i.e., sub-freezing) weather, but that more than a dusting of snow tends to snarl traffic tremendously, as the area doesn’t have the snow-removal resources of more northern cities. ---
**Author:** ![virtually\_yours](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a587f6/32.png) [@virtually\_yours](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/virtually_yours)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-d-c-snow-feb-15/779921/13 "2017-02-16T01:39:18Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > When you say ‘up there’ are you confusing Washington, DC (which is between Maryland and Virginia) with the state of Washington (which is on the Canadian border)? No I am not, I am a pilot, I know where DC is. I live in Bahamas, that’s more of the reason I said “up there” , like north carolina where I have been in winter and seen snow for the first time and above. I drove once from NC to new york and washington DC and saw the white house. I think I got it pegged where the white house is, and no it is not washington state 🙂 virtually yours Virtually Yours ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-d-c-snow-feb-15/779921/14 "2017-02-16T02:37:15Z")
Nitpick … Washington State has some fairly large glaciers … it snows a hell of a lot in the mountains there … ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-d-c-snow-feb-15/779921/15 "2017-02-16T03:58:03Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > My impression of DC is that it barely has a winter. You want snow, come up here to Montreal, where it is coming out of our ears. That has always been my impression too - it “snows” in D.C. like we “have earthquakes” in New Hampshire: both of these things are _technically_ true, but people from states with the real version of either would laugh at us for claiming that we’ve really experienced them. D.C.'s annual average of a whole 14.5 inches seems to bear this out. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-d-c-snow-feb-15/779921/16 "2017-02-16T04:11:28Z")
Moved to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-d-c-snow-feb-15/779921/17 "2017-02-16T06:47:44Z")
Winters are erratic in DC, there’s a chance for one or two big snow storms and there’s also a chance for 50-60 degree days. In general, any snow storm more than 4" is unusual and weather below 20 degrees during the day is unusual. It happens, but infrequently enough that people will comment on it. Last year DC had more snow that Burlington, VT. I know this because I travel to Burlington a lot for work and everyone up there kept telling me that. Three years ago, DC had a cold snap that caused our pipes to freeze and burst. I’m out of town right now, but my wife tells me that the cherry blossom tree in our front yard is budding, so winter is a crapshoot. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-d-c-snow-feb-15/779921/18 "2017-02-16T13:05:48Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Last year DC had more snow that Burlington, VT. Lots of places had less snow than VT did last year, though, which says more about VT’s weather than D.C.'s. In neighboring New Hampshire we had the second least amount of snow ever recorded for a winter. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-d-c-snow-feb-15/779921/19 "2017-02-16T13:51:32Z")
My point being that DC winters are unpredictable. We had one storm that dumped about 20" on DC last year, this year we’ve had hardly anything. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-d-c-snow-feb-15/779921/20 "2017-02-16T14:02:48Z")
In the 20-some years I’ve been here, we tend to get one “big” snowfall (big = a foot or more, shutting everything down for at least a day) around this time of year, between mid-January and the beginning of March. But beyond that it’s just a light dusting, an inch or two, not like the more regular snowfall that they usually get just a bit to the north throughout the season. Once in awhile, we skip the big snow entirely. I’m not prepared to say that we’ve skipped it this year until we’re well into March, though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-d-c-snow-feb-15/779921.md?page=2)