On this day in 2007, a major winter storm hit the D.C. area, delivering a disruptive frozen mix of precipitation. At Reagan National Airport, 1.8 inches of snow fell, followed by significant sleet and freezing rain. In colder areas to the northwest, 3 to 5 inches of snow was reported.
To the southeast of D.C., more freezing rain than snow or sleet fell; a half-inch of ice glaze prevailed across a large area, with a pocket of ¾-inch ice glaze over southern Prince George’s and northern Anne Arundel counties. In that pocket, tree limbs snapped with a vengeance, creating 100,000 power outages. A total of 135,000 outages occurred across the greater region.
“Icy road conditions led to dozens of car accidents across the region and schools were closed for much of the week,” the National Weather Service reported. “Several restaurants and florists reported reduced Valentine’s Day sales due to the hazardous road conditions.”
Here are other notables for the day:
- Average high: 48
- Average low: 32
- Record high: 73 (1990)
- Record low: 4 (1905)
- Record precipitation: 0.98 inches (1940)
- Record snowfall: 4.9 inches (1885)
