On this day in 1983, a historic snowstorm swept up the Eastern Seaboard, burying an area from Virginia to New England under a deep blanket of snow. Washington’s southern and eastern suburbs recorded 15 to 20 inches of snow, while 20 to 30 inches fell in the northern and western suburbs.
By Feb. 12, National Airport received 16.6 inches of snow (16.4 inches fell on Feb. 11, a calendar-day record), while 22.8 inches was recorded at both Baltimore-Washington International Marshall and Dulles International airports. Winds gusting over 25 mph created drifts up to 5 feet.
Many observers, particularly in the Maryland suburbs, reported several episodes of lightning and thunder. The snowstorm ranks as D.C.’s eighth greatest on record.
Here are other notables for the day:
- Average high: 47
- Average low: 31
- Record high: 76 (1932)
- Record low: minus-15 (1899)
- Record precipitation: 1.91 inches (1983)
- Record snowfall: 16.4 inches (1983)
