WASHINGTON — The nation’s capital experienced record-shattering warmth on Friday. New record highs of 80 degrees at Reagan National Airport and 79 degrees at Dulles Airport were set. These were not only records for January 26, but were also record highs for the entire month.
January and December are the only two months of the year that had never seen 80 degree weather in Washington, D.C. NOAA’s weather records for the nation’s capital date back to the 1870s.
The previous earliest date it had ever been 80 degrees in the nation’s capital was February 21.
In fact, 80 degrees does not become the daily average high temperature in Washington, D.C. until May 28. Making today’s warmth even more impressive, is how last week was DC’s snowiest week in two years with a total of 7.8 inches over two storms.
High temperatures also remained at or below freezing on four days between January 15 and January 20. The high temperature on January 26 was 46 degrees warmer than on January 19, when DC's second winter storm occurred.
This January thaw is not unusual after such a frigid stretch, but the degree of warmth is unprecedented as it is DC’s first January 80 degree temperature on record and earliest in the year it’s ever been this warm.
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