Will it snow in Washington, DC?
Washington, DC · checked 3:51 pm EDT, Mon Oct 19
This week: the National Weather Service forecast
Snow is not in the National Weather Service forecast for Washington, DC for the next 7 days.
NWS forecast for central Washington, DC, issued 3:09 pm EDT, Mon Oct 19. It covers about 7 days and is updated several times a day.
The whole 7-day forecast
- This Afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 67. North wind around 10 mph.
- Tonight: Clear, with a low around 48. North wind 6 to 9 mph.
- Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 70. North wind around 12 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 49. North wind 6 to 9 mph.
- Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 66. North wind around 8 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46.
- Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 67.
- Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 49.
- Friday: Sunny, with a high near 61.
- Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 43.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 61.
- Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 45.
- Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 65.
- Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 47.
NWS forecast for Washington, DC · Weather alerts in District of Columbia · Winter storm outlook
How often it snows in Washington, DC
Washington, DC averages 13.7 inches of snow a year in NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals (from 30 years of snowfall records in 1991–2020).
Measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) fell in 30 of the 30 winters from 1991–92 to 2020–21 with complete records — about 100%.
In the winters that had any, the median date of the first measurable snow was December 19, and of the last March 4. The earliest first snow came on November 11, 1995.
The snowiest of those winters was 2009–10, with 56.1 inches.
The snowiest month on average is February, with 5.0 inches.
On average there are 8.0 days a year with at least 0.1 inch of snowfall.
Average snowfall by month, 1991–2020
| Month | Snowfall |
|---|---|
| November | 0.1 inches |
| December | 1.7 inches |
| January | 4.9 inches |
| February | 5.0 inches |
| March | 2.0 inches |
Months with none on average are left out.
Will Washington, DC have a white Christmas?
NOAA's 1991–2020 daily normals give Washington, DC a 4.4% chance of at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on December 25 — the measure NOAA uses for its white Christmas maps.
The chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow falling that day is 4.9%.
These are long-run chances from past winters, smoothed across the days around Christmas — not a forecast for this year.
White Christmas in Washington, DC: every Christmas Day since 1991
Where these numbers come from
Climate: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual, monthly and daily station normals) for Washington Reagan Airport, GHCN-Daily station USW00013743, 7 km from the city centre. First and last snow dates, the share of winters with snow and the snowiest winter were counted by this site from the same station's daily snowfall for the winters 1991–92 to 2020–21, read through the Regional Climate Centers' ACIS service; a winter with more than 10 missing days between October and April is left out. Forecast: the National Weather Service API, read at most once an hour. All US government data, public domain.
This site does not issue warnings or predict snow. It repeats the official forecast and the long-run record.
NOAA's winter outlook 2026–27 for District of Columbia
Questions
Will it snow in Washington, DC this week?
Snow is not in the National Weather Service forecast for Washington, DC for the next 7 days. The National Weather Service updates its forecast several times a day.
Will it snow in Washington, DC this winter (2026–27)?
Nobody can say for a whole winter ahead. In the 30 winters from 1991–92 to 2020–21 with complete records, measurable snow fell in 30, and the 1991–2020 average is 13.7 inches a year. NOAA's seasonal outlook gives the chances of a colder or wetter winter than normal, not snow totals.
When does Washington, DC usually get its first snow?
In the 30 winters that had measurable snow, the median date of the first one was December 19; the earliest was November 11, 1995.
Will Washington, DC have a white Christmas?
NOAA's 1991–2020 daily normals give Washington, DC a 4.4% chance of at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on December 25 — the measure NOAA uses for its white Christmas maps. The chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow falling that day is 4.9%. These are long-run chances from past winters, smoothed across the days around Christmas — not a forecast for this year.
Will it snow in other US cities?
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