Started thinking of husband's Nov. 11 birthday storm, so looked for the year. THEN:
February 15-17, 2003: The weather map on Saturday the 15th showed high pressure over southwest Ontario with low pressure forming along the Oklahoma/Arkansas border. By Sunday morning that area of high pressure had strengthened and moved over southwest Quebec. This allowed a steady stream of cold air to flow down the east side of the Appalachian Mountains into the mid Atlantic region - all three major airports reported temperatures in the teens throughout the day. At the same time low pressure was moving from Alabama to a position just off the North Carolina/Virginia coast. The provided a steady stream of moisture to flow into the mid Atlantic states. By 4 am on the 16th heavy snow was being reported at all three major airports, reducing visibility to one quarter mile or less. The high pressure across Atlantic Canada helped to hold the low, a definite Nor’easter, in place, which allowed the snowfall to continue throughout the day. The snowfall finally abated during the morning of Monday the 17th – Presidents Day. Totals for the storm included 16.4" at DCA, 26.8" at BWI, and 21.7" at IAD. Many schools were closed for the entire week.
December 18-19, 2009: On the morning of Friday, December 18th low pressure was located in the Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Panhandle. Cold high pressure was located over southern Quebec. By Friday evening the low moved off the North Carolina coast and underwent explosive intensification. Snow began at Dulles Airport around 730 pm Friday evening, and then continued through 11 pm on Saturday. By Sunday morning the low had moved east of Cape Cod.
The lowest snow total for the storm was 8-10” in southeast St. Mary’s County. Everywhere else in the Sterling forecast area received at least 14 inches, with the highest totals recorded from the central Shenandoah Valley to the central Allegheny Highlands. Totals include…in Washington DC 16.4” at National Airport. In Maryland, 18.0” at BWI, Glenn Burnie 22.5”, Frederick 22.0”, and Columbia 23.0”. In Virginia, Dulles Airport had 18.0”, Stuarts Draft 28.8”, Waynesboro 28.0”, Centreville 23.0”, and Linden 26.8”. The greatest snow total for this storm was in Cherry Grove, WV – 30.0”. For all three major airports this was the largest single December snowfall in history.
February 5-6, 2010: “Blizzard One.” On the morning of Friday February 5th low pressure was located just south of the Florida panhandle, with cold high pressure centered over Ontario stretching southeastward into the mid Atlantic states. Snow began at Dulles during the morning of the 5th. By 10 am visibility was reduced to 1/2 mile. By early evening visibility further dropped to ¼ mile in moderate to heavy snow , eventually falling to 1/16 of a mile with 35 mph winds around midnight on the 6th. The surface map on the morning of the 6th showed deep low pressure just east of Virginia Beach. Northeasterly winds of 25-30 mph persisted throughout much of the day Saturday. Visibility remained extremely poor through 4 pm Saturday afternoon. These conditions reflected those at the other major airports, and throughout the mid Atlantic region.
This proved to be the second historic snowfall of the 2009/10 winter season.
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/lwx/winter/DC-Winters.htm
= new reply since forum marked as read
