On this day in 2010, a blockbuster winter storm known as “Snowmageddon” began burying the DC region in one of its most memorable snowfalls on record. By the time it wound down on Feb. 6, the storm had delivered widespread totals of 18 to 36 inches, crippling travel, shutting down the federal government and rewriting parts of the area’s weather record book.
The storm took shape as a powerful coastal system, tapping into abundant Atlantic moisture while cold air remained firmly entrenched across the Mid-Atlantic. As the low tracked up the coast, it intensified and slowed, allowing bands of heavy snow to pivot repeatedly over the same areas. Capital Weather Gang coverage at the time highlighted how this “banding” helped produce snowfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour at times.
Snow began falling during the day on Feb. 5 and quickly intensified into the evening and overnight hours. By the morning of Feb. 6, the region was paralyzed. Major roads were impassable, airports were closed, and public transit systems ground to a halt. Thousands of flights were canceled, and the federal government shut down for days.
At first, the snow was heavy and wet, snapping tree limbs and utility lines, cutting power to hundreds of thousands.
At Reagan National Airport, 17.8 inches was officially recorded, but totals climbed sharply with elevation and distance from the urban core. Washington Dulles International Airport measured a record 32.4 inches, while Leesburg, Virginia, reported an astonishing 34.5 inches. Many suburban communities west and north of the city found themselves buried under nearly three feet of snow.
In many places, it took days just to clear primary roads, and far longer to restore access to residential streets.
The storm was also notable as part of an extraordinary winter. Just days later, another significant snowstorm — sometimes dubbed “Snoverkill" — would strike, compounding the already historic seasonal totals.
Here are some articles from the archive about the storm which contain some jaw-dropping visuals:
- Remembering 2010’s Snowmageddon in 10 images and scenes
- Ten years later, the enormity of Snowmageddon is still difficult to comprehend
- Memories of Snowmageddon are still fresh a decade later
- Snowmageddon, five years later: The first of two Mid-Atlantic blizzards in February 2010
Here are other notables for the day:
- Average high: 46
- Average low: 30
- Record high: 74 (2019)
- Record low: Minus-2 (1918)
- Record precipitation: 0.80 inches (1908)
- Record snowfall: 8.7 inches (2010)
