District of Columbia winter storms
Every recorded winter storm record since 1996 · 1 county with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 129 winter storm records in District of Columbia from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 4.8 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the January 26, 2011 winter storm in District of Columbia: 1 death. District of Columbia ranks 50th of 51 states and territories by count.
Winter storms in District of Columbia, 1996 to 2026
Winter storm records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- Records
- 1291996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 4.8average
- Deaths
- 10 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $97Kas filed
- Busiest year
- 201412 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are winter storm records common in District of Columbia?
District of Columbia averages about 4.8 winter storm records a year since 2000, 50th of 51 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2014 (12).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
When is winter storm season in District of Columbia?
73% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The busiest month is January (53 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 53 · Feb 41 · Mar 15 · Apr 0 · May 0 · Jun 0 · Jul 0 · Aug 0 · Sep 0 · Oct 0 · Nov 1 · Dec 19 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest winter storm records in District of Columbia?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-01-26 | Winter StormDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia Snowfall was estimated to average around five inches across the District of Columbia. A fatality occurred when a tree fell onto a truck near Oregon Avenue. The tree fell due to the weight of the snow. | 1 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
Are winter storm records becoming more frequent in District of Columbia?
District of Columbia's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | District of Columbia | United States | District of Columbia's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 12 | 32,893 | 0.04% |
| 2000s | 36 | 88,805 | 0.04% |
| 2010s | 61 | 103,626 | 0.06% |
| 2020-26 | 20 | 62,015 | 0.03% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent winter storm records in District of Columbia
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-22 | Winter WeatherDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-05 | Winter WeatherDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-05 | Winter WeatherDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-08 | Winter WeatherDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-05 | Winter WeatherDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-10 | Winter WeatherDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-05 | Winter StormDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-03 | Winter WeatherDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-01-26 | Winter StormDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia | 1 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for winter storm records in District of Columbia
FEMA has declared 8 disasters in District of Columbia for winter storm, counting its incident type and declarations that name snow or winter storm or ice storm or blizzard in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 6 were major disasters, the latest on March 4, 2016.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-03-04 | DR-4260 | Snowstorm | 1 |
| 2010-03-24 | DR-1890 | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms | 1 |
| 2010-03-03 | DR-1882 | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm | 1 |
| 2003-03-14 | EM-3178 | Snow | 1 |
| 2000-04-10 | DR-1325 | Severe Winter Storm | 1 |
| 1996-01-11 | DR-1080 | Blizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) | 1 |
| 1994-06-17 | DR-1030 | Severe Winter Ice Storm | 1 |
| 1993-03-17 | EM-3108 | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm | 1 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Winter storms across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in District of ColumbiaTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
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- Heat in District of Columbia70 records