Where Snowzilla fits into D.C.’s top 10 snowstorms
Washington D.C.’s top ten snowstorms on record as of January 22, 2016, before Snowzilla. (Kevin Ambrose and Ian Livingston)
A few model runs indicated there was potential to exceed the Knickerbocker Snowstorm of 1922 which dumped 28 inches of snow on D.C. and many indicated this storm would top the Blizzard of 1899, Washington’s second ranked snowstorm which dropped 20.5 inches.
As of 8 p.m., Reagan National Airport, D.C.’s official observing location, was reporting a total of 17.8 inches, meaning Snowzilla ties Snowmageddon as the fourth biggest snowstorm on record in D.C. However, we are unconvinced this total is correct and believe there is a chance it will be adjusted upwards.
It is uncertain whether Snowzilla’s final total will approach the February 1979 Presidents’ Day Snowstorm which unloaded 18.7 inches of snow at National and the 20.5 inches from 1899.
Snowzilla will not break the Knickerbocker Snowstorm’s record. The 28 inches from that storm almost seems untouchable in part because D.C.’s weather station was moved from a snowier, elevated location at 24th and M Streets, NW to Reagan National Airport along the Potomac River in 1945. The Presidents’ Day Snowstorm stands as the greatest snow on record at the airport.
Looking back at snowstorm records for Washington, most of D.C.’s top snows fall in the 10 to 20 inches range. Our northern and western suburbs often get more than downtown for big snow totals for a variety of reasons which include higher elevation (colder temperatures) and being more often removed from the rain-snow line which will often set up near I-95 and National Airport. With this storm, cold temperatures and rain-snow lines are not much of an issue, but the heaviest snow has set up – as often the case – northwest of the city.
It’s worth mentioning that the largest unofficial snowstorm for our area is the Washington and Jefferson Snowstorm of 1772. The diaries of both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson reference a great snowstorm that occurred January 27-29, 1772 that piled up snow three feet deep from the Blue Ridge Mountains east to the Chesapeake Bay. In Winchester, Virginia, the snow was measured at 2 feet, 9 inches. The Gazette of Annapolis commented: “it is with utmost difficulty people pass from one house to another.” Areas to the north, however, towards Philadelphia and New York, received much less snow.
So, will this storm pass 1979, 1899, or even 1922? Will some parts of our area approach Washington and Jefferson snowfall totals? We will have to wait and see.
Here is a rundown of the top ten storms, before Snowzilla, with historical photos…
Number 1: The Knickerbocker Snowstorm of 1922, 28 inches
Ranked No. 1: The Knickerbocker Snowstorm at 28 inches. Pictured is a Washington street scene photographed on January 28, 1922. (Knickerbocker Snowstorm book)
Ranked No. 2: The Blizzard of 1899 at 20.5 inches. Pictured is a snowdrift on H Street, across from the Government Printing Office, that was too big to shovel.
Ranked No. 3: The Presidents’ Day Snowstorm of 1979 at 18.7 inches. Snowmobiling in Washington after the storm. (Washington Weather)
Ranked No. 4: Snowmageddon of February 5-6, 2010 at 17.8 inches. Capitol Hill sledding with deep powder. (Ian Livingston)
The storms below have been passed by Snowzilla of 2016…
Number 5: The Blizzard of 1996, 17.1 inches
Ranked No. 5: The Blizzard of 1996 at 17.1 inches. Patrick Serfass flies down the Capitol steps Sunday Jan. 7, 1996. (AP Photo/Cameron Craig — Snowmageddon)
Ranked No. 6: Presidents’ Day II Snowstorm of 2003 at 16.7 inches. Pictured is a cross country skier on the National Mall. (Kevin Ambrose)
Ranked No. 7: The Blizzard of 1983 at 16.6 inches. The snowy Capitol steps after the storm. (Washington Weather)
Ranked No. 8: Snowpocalypse of December 2009 at 16.4 inches. Carrying groceries through the snow. (Ian Livingston)
Number 9: Blizzard of 1936, 14.4 inches
Ranked No. 9: The Blizzard of 1936 at 14.4 inches. Pictured is a street scene near Lafayette Park. (Washington Weather)
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