On this day in 2009, the storm named “Snowpocalypse” unloaded 15 inches of snow on the District, after 1.4 inches the previous day. With a storm total of 16.4 inches, it became the District’s largest December snowstorm on record. The storm developed as a potent coastal low, tapping Atlantic moisture and intensifying rapidly as it tracked up the East Coast
“A major storm that broke all records for a December snowfall buried the Washington area Saturday, forcing authorities to suspend public transportation, declare a state of emergency and plead with residents to stay home,” The Washington Post reported on its front page.
Snow fell heavily through Dec. 19, at times piling up at rates of one to two inches per hour. Roads quickly became impassable, and much of the region effectively shut down.
Metrobus service was suspended, and rail service was curtailed as crews struggled to keep tracks clear. Airports experienced widespread delays and cancellations, stranding travelers at the height of the holiday season.
Snow totals ranging from 18 to 26 inches were common, including 20.5 inches in Arlington, 24 inches in Bethesda, and 26.4 inches in Damascus, Md.
On Christmas morning, seven inches of snow remained on the ground at Reagan National Airport, giving DC its first white Christmas since 1989. DC hasn’t experienced another white Christmas since.
The storm also laid the groundwork for what would become DC's snowiest winter on record, as two more major storms followed in 2010: Snowmageddon and Snoverkill.
More articles on the Snowpocalypse:
- Crushed! Snowpocalypse crippled Washington, D.C. on this date in 2009 (The Washington Post)
- Looking back on winter 2009-10: ‘Snowpocalypse’ strikes, smashes December snow records (The Washington Post)
- Detailed snow totals (National Weather Service)
Here are other notables for this day:
- Average high: 48
- Average low: 34
- Record high: 74 (1924)
- Record low: 6 (1884)
- Record precipitation: 1.34 inches (2009)
- Maximum snow: 15.0 inches (2009)
