WASHINGTON — On Veterans Day in 1987, 11.5 inches of snow fell in D.C. Or did it?
On that day, the official snow total for the District, like all weather observations since 1941, was recorded at what is now called Reagan National Airport, across the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia.
The practice of recording weather observations for the nation’s capital near sea level at Reagan National has long been questioned by meteorologists who say that the readings do not represent the climate for much of the metro area. Now, several District leaders are chiming in, pushing for the snow-measuring site to be relocated to the District.
In a letter this week, D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton asked the National Weather Service to consider measuring the city’s snowfall at sites such as the White House, the Naval Observatory or the National Arboretum. Calling accurate data “critical for federal aid and preparedness,” Norton further called the relocation “a home-rule matter of respect for D.C. and its residents.”
D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen, Ward 6, brought up the snow measurements during a Council hearing on weather preparedness last month.
Due to its location near the Potomac River, the weather observing site at Reagan National is often affected by water temperatures, wind direction and low elevation.
Snowfall tallies at the airport are often far lower than those seen across the rest of the region, notwithstanding uniform snowfall coverage. During the Blizzard of 1996, only 17.3 inches of snow was measured, compared with 24.6 inches at Dulles Airport.
Official weather data, including snow totals, for the District have been recorded at the airport in Arlington since 1941. From 1888 to 1941, observations were taken at the National Weather Bureau and Signal Service offices, on M Street in Georgetown. From 1870 to 1888, weather conditions were measured west of the White House, along G Street.
