Temperatures Plunge in Record Fashion (Image Credits: Flickr)
Washington, D.C. – A ferocious cold front barreled through the capital region on Thursday, shattering a brief but intense warm streak with slushy snowfall and a temperature plunge of nearly 50 degrees in under 24 hours.[1][2]
Temperatures Plunge in Record Fashion
Temperatures soared into the mid-80s earlier in the week, setting multiple records across the D.C. area. On Tuesday, the mercury hit 84 degrees, eclipsing a 10-year mark from 2016. The following day pushed even higher to 86 degrees, the earliest such reading on record for the city, more akin to mid-June conditions.[1]
This unseasonable heat prompted warnings of sunburn risks during outdoor activities. Yet the warmth evaporated swiftly. By Thursday morning, readings tumbled from the 60s into the 40s, then the 30s by afternoon, as northwest gusts exceeding 40 mph at Reagan National Airport ushered in arctic air.[2]
Cold Front Sparks Dynamic Cooling
The powerful system arrived with rain during the morning commute, but colder air aloft triggered a remarkable transition. Precipitation briefly mixed with sleet and wet snow through dynamic cooling, where intense showers chilled the atmosphere enough for snowflakes to form despite surface temperatures hovering above freezing.[1]…