On this day in 1979, a calendar-day record 0.3 inches of snow fell in D.C., the earliest measurable amount on record. At Dulles International Airport, an October record 1.3 inches accumulated; the high and low temperatures were 44 and 32.
The front page of The Washington Post featured a photo of a snow-coated car in Arlington amid the fat, wet flakes. “A freak early autumn snow storm pounced on Washington yesterday, smothering some areas in up to four inches of snow, snarling commuter traffic, snapping tree limbs and triggering power outages in many suburbs,” The Post reported. “Dozens of schools closed in Montgomery, Prince George’s and Fairfax counties after power outages cut heat and light to school buildings. Thousands of school children went home early.”
Here are other notables from this date:
- Average high: 72
- Average low: 55
- Record high: 92 (1938)
- Record low: 30 (1895)
- Record rainfall: 2.15 inches (1971)
- Record snowfall: 0.3 inches (1979)
