Arctic Blast Hits D.C. With Bitter Cold

Bitterly cold air is set to descend upon the D.C. region, with wind chills forecast to approach zero on Monday night. High temperatures on Tuesday are expected to struggle into the 20s, marking what could be the coldest period of the winter. The current weather features scattered snow showers, which may mix with or change to rain before tapering off by midday. Any accumulation from these morning showers is expected to be minimal, with some exceptions in northern Maryland.

Following the initial precipitation, a more significant cold front will usher in progressively colder conditions. By Monday night into Tuesday, temperatures will plummet, with lows anticipated in the upper teens to low 20s. Tuesday's daytime highs are unlikely to rise much above the mid-20s, with wind chills potentially feeling even colder. This Arctic blast is timed to coincide with the annual minimum in average seasonal temperatures.

Historical weather data for this date in D.C. reveals extreme cold in 1982, with a high of 10 degrees and a low of minus-5, alongside significant snowfall that January. In 1994, the area experienced a severe ice storm, which transformed trees into crystalline structures and turned roads into frozen dance floors, preceding a subsequent cold spell.