Wind Chill in District of Columbia

District of Columbia sits in the classic mid-latitude winter belt — enough snow to regularly close schools, not enough to build infrastructure for it. Across the 1 District of Columbia cities covered by SnowSense™, average annual snowfall is 15 inches. Washington receive up to 15 inches in a typical winter; lower-latitude cities like Washington see closer to 15.

School-closure decisions in District of Columbia often hinge on precipitation type as much as accumulation. Storms that cross the region frequently transition from snow to sleet to freezing rain and back, and the difference between a four-inch snow event and a one-inch ice-glaze event is invisible until the storm arrives. Districts tend to close preemptively when ice risk is in the forecast.

Pick a city above to see live snow day probability for your specific District of Columbia location. SnowSense™ refreshes every 30 minutes with live NWS forecast data, ice-risk modeling, and District of Columbia-calibrated closure thresholds.

Schools in District of Columbia typically close for cold alone when wind chills drop below dangerous thresholds. The exact threshold varies by district — urban districts with walking students tend to close at warmer wind chills than rural districts where all students ride buses.