Top January snowstorms in Washington, DC history

Friday DC snow forecast: 24-hour snowfall totals

Friday DC snow forecast: 24-hour snowfall totals along with a FOX 5 Weather weekend forecast.

WASHINGTON - About two years after its last significant snowfall, the immediate Washington, D.C. area finally recorded some widespread accumulation! January is typically one of the snowiest winter months in the region. On average, just under five inches of the white stuff falls during the first month of each year in the nation's capital.

Sometimes we get less. Last year, only a trace of snow was recorded in the District during the entire month of January. Sometimes we get more. Thomas Jefferson and George Washington both recorded getting three feet of snow in January 1772!

DMV Winter 2023-2024 Outlook: Why we're expecting more snow, chance for blizzards in DC this winter

With a potentially strong El Niño in play for the 2023-2024 winter season, we're forecasting more snow than an average winter for the Washington D.C. metro, Northern Virginia and Maryland.

Here's a look at some of the historic January snowstorms to impact Washington, D.C. and the region over the years.

The Washington and Jefferson Snowstorm

This January 28, 1772, storm gets its name because both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington recorded the snowfall in their diaries! The storm is said to have left 36 inches of snow in Washington, D.C. and parts of Virginia. It's not listed in the official record books because official weather records did not begin until after the Civil War. But it was the largest snow ever noted in the D.C. area!

January 16-18, 1857

More than a foot of snow fell with temperatures near zero during the great blizzard of January 1857! Ships were wrecked at sea and winds caused damage on land. Transportation corridors were blocked in and out of the District. Virginia rivers were frozen over and the Chesapeake Bay was frozen solid a mile and a half out from its coastline.

The Knickerbocker Storm of 1922

Washington, D.C. was immobilized after 28 inches of heavy snow fell on January 28, 1922. Known as The Knickerbocker Storm, snow fell from Richmond to Baltimore during a three-day stretch. The storm turned deadly when the weight of the snow became too much for the roof of the Knickerbocker Theater, on 18th Street and Columbia in northwest D.C., to handle. It collapsed, taking the balcony down with it, crushing nearly 100 people to death.

DC digs out from the January blizzard of 2016

Washington, D.C. digs out from the January blizzard of 2016 that left over 25 inches of snow on the ground.

January 30-31, 1966

This blizzard hammered Washington, D.C., and left anywhere from one to two inches of snow across much of the northeast U.S. The District recorded 14 inches – but because it fell on top of already existing snow - the depth came to 20 inches! Intense winds created drifts and kept roads closed for several days crippling transportation lines and even caused a food shortage.

January 1977

The snow began on January 4 in Washington, D.C. – and new storms dropped a few more inches every few days to put a fresh coating on the streets that were just clearing from the previous storm. The Tidal Potomac froze solid, and people could skate across it near the Memorial Bridge. In all, 10 inches of snow fell in D.C. over the month of January!

Image 1 of 12

▼

Washington, D.C. digs out from the January blizzard of 2016 that left over 25 inches of snow on the ground.

January 7-13, 1996

The Blizzard of '96 began on Sunday, January 7 and by Monday morning, Washington, D.C. was buried under 17 to 21 inches of snow. Thirty to 36 inches of snow fell over Frederick and western Loudoun Counties. Baltimore recorded over 22 inches, and even Ocean City received 10 inches of snow! The entire region was paralyzed. On Tuesday, January 9, an additional 3 to 5 inches fell. A third storm struck on Friday, January 12 dumping another 4 to 6 inches over the metro area. By the week's end, most of the D.C. area was buried under 2 to 3 feet of snow!

DC Snowpocalypse: City's 2009 record-setting snowstorm in photos

January 26, 2011

The winter storm struck D.C. on Wednesday, January 26th. The first wave was a period of sleet and snow across northern Maryland in the early morning. The second was a stronger wave that brought heavy snow to much of the region Wednesday afternoon and evening. Temperatures dropped and heavy snow continued through the evening hours. Reports from the time have snowfall rates at around 2 to 3 inches per hour. The timing and intensity of the snow made the storm memorable. The timing, coinciding with the afternoon commute, led to gridlock on the roadways. The wet heavy snow knocked out power to almost 400,000 in the D.C. area that evening. Washington, D.C. measured 5 inches of snowfall, Baltimore recorded 7.6 inches of snowfall, and Dulles saw 7.3 inches.

Jan 22-23, 2016 Blizzard

The storm struck Washington, D.C. in the afternoon bringing extremely heavy snow across the entire region by early evening and continuing into the night. Snow continued to pile up at 1 to 2 inches per hour rates. Snowfall totals in D.C. were measured at 26 inches, 22.4 inches at the National Zoo, and 21 inches in Adams Morgan.

More on D.C.'s historic snowfalls from the National Weather Service.