41 years ago -- one of DC's most notorious blizzards struck on Presidents' Day weekend.

[elleng]

REMEMBER???

'A poorly forecast blizzard hit the D.C. Metro Area on February 18-19, 1979. Snow began falling at night on February 18 and ended in the morning of February 19. National Airport recorded 18.7” inches and it still remains DC’s third largest snowstorm on record. Only the Knickerbocker Storm in January of 1922 and the Valentine’s Day blizzard in 1899 were larger.

The February 1979 storm produced a snow depth of up to 23” downtown and 18” fell in a mere 18 hours! Snowfall reports of 2” to 3” inches per hour occurred with temperatures in the single digits and teens. Early forecasts was for only 4” to 6”.

FEBRUARY 1979: This was the second snowiest February on record in Washington, D.C. for 31 years – until 2010. A total of 30.6” of snow fell at National Airport that month, with the bulk coming on February 18-19. That’s when 18.7” of snow was measured in a paralyzing winter storm which remains the third largest snow total in DC history. This storm is also significant because it ranks as the largest snowfall on record since National Airport opened in 1941. The two largest snowstorms in DC history occurred in January of 1922 and February of 1899, respectively, when weather measurements were made downtown.'>>>

https://www.wusa9.com/article/weather/weather-blog/40-years-ago-one-of-dcs-most-notorious-blizzards-struck-on-presidents-day-weekend/65-5d3e6d59-4cb4-49a6-9a00-4bd9bd4ec090?

Had left Chicago the year before, due to 2 severe winters (and for professional reasons.) Prolly walked across the Mall to office, when govt opened!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. "Only the Knickerbocker Storm in ... 1922 and the Valentine's Day blizzard in 1899 were larger."

There was said to be a storm in Jefferson's lifetime that was bigger. The official measurements go back to 1885.

Washington, D.C.
....

Geography
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Climate
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Blizzards affect Washington on average once every four to six years. The most violent storms are called "nor'easters", which often affect large sections of the East Coast.[75] From January 27 to January 28, 1922, the city officially received 28 inches (71 cm) of snowfall, the largest snowstorm since official measurements began in 1885.[76] According to notes kept at the time, the city received between 30 and 36 inches (76 and 91 cm) from a snowstorm in January 1772.[77]

{snip}

[75] Watson, Barbara McNaught (November 17, 1999). https://web.archive.org/web/20101231041158/http://www.erh.noaa.gov/lwx/winter/DC-Winters.htm, "Washington Area Winters". National Weather Service. Archived from the original on December 31, 2010. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
[76] Ambrose, Kevin; Junker, Wes (January 23, 2016). "Where Snowzilla fits into D.C.'s top 10 snowstorms". Washington Post.
[77] Heidorn, Keith C. (January 1, 2012). "The Washington and Jefferson Snowstorm of 1772". The Weather Doctor. Retrieved January 25, 2016.

Note [75] is at archive.org. Links to that site don't show up correctly.

The Knickerbocker Storm is remembered every year at DU:

Monday, January 27, 2020: On Friday, January 27, 1922, the Knickerbocker Storm started.

Monday, January 28, 2019: Today is the 97th anniversary of the greatest loss of life in the District of Columbia.

Saturday, January 28, 2017: Haunting faces, scenes and stories from the Knickerbocker Theatre roof crash 95 years ago

[appalachiablue]

2. Unforgettable! I still have pix of me going out the front door and

standing in snow well above the knees. Monster storm of '79!