Washington - Coldest Decades

The coldest decades on record are ranked here for Washington, DC. The lists include decades when Washington had the lowest average temperatures, the fewest hot days and the most cold days. These extremes are for temperatures observed at Reagan National Airport near downtown Washington and cover seven decades, from the 1950s to the 2010s.

That is when Washington had weather measurements that are consistent and complete enough to compare decades. Each decade comprises a standard 10-year range. For instance, the 1990s includes measurements from Jan 1, 1990 to Dec 31, 1999. Links to the data behind these lists are in the References section on this page.

Coolest High Temperatures

Average daily maximum temperature at Washington
High °F Decade High °C
Lowest 66.0 1960s 18.9
Runner-up 66.1 1950s 19.0

Coldest Low Temperatures

Average daily minimum temperature at Washington
Low °F Decade Low °C
Lowest 47.3 1960s 8.5
Runner-up 48.7 1950s 9.3

Fewest Warm Days

Total days per year on average when Washington had temperatures of at least 70 °F (21 °C)
Days Decade
Lowest 173 1950s
Runner-up 175 1960s

Fewest Hot Days

Total days per year on average when Washington had temperatures of at least 90 °F (32 °C)
Days Decade
Lowest 29 2000s
Runner-up 32 1950s

Most Freezing Days

Total days per year on average when Washington had temperatures of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower
Days Decade
Highest 83 1960s
Runner-up 71 1950s
References

Current Results. 2020. Washington DC Temperature Averages by Decade

Jay Lawrimore, Ron Ray, Scott Applequist, Bryant Korzeniewski, Matthew Menne. 2016. Global Summary of the Year, Version 1.0. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

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