Mainstream media outlets have long reported that climate change would bring “mild-ish” winters to Washington, D.C., that are “more like the South” than the Mid-Atlantic. [some emphasis, links added]
Then D.C. experienced its longest cold streak in more than three decades.
Temperatures in the district remained below freezing for nine days ending on Feb. 2, 2026, the longest streak since December 1989, according to the Washington Post.
That may surprise the Post‘s readers: In February and December of 2020, the outlet reported that “global warming” and “human-caused climate change” were making D.C.’s winters “more Southern.”
“Thanks mostly to a combination of human-caused climate change and urbanization, winters in Washington are warming hastily and taking on an entirely new character,” wrote “climate reporter” Ian Livingston and “climate editor” Andrew Freedman in their December 2020 piece headlined, “Washington winters are rapidly warming up and feeling more Southern.”
“Our winter climate is on a southbound journey, with nothing in the way. … The frequency of bitterly cold winter days is in decline.”
Months earlier, Jason Samenow, another writer on the Post’s climate team—which at its height was staffed by more than 30 people—came to a similar conclusion.
He penned a piece headlined, “Global warming is making Washington’s climate more Southern. This winter, it most resembles Atlanta’s.”
“Since the winter solstice on Dec. 21, Washington’s weather has taken an excursion toward a far more southern clime,” Samenow wrote. “Because of human-induced climate warming, winters like this—characterized by a lack of extreme cold and spotty snowfall—may become the norm this century.”
Six years later, such conditions are far from the norm in the district.
High temperatures remained in the 20s or lower for five consecutive days in late January, with lows near single digits and subzero wind chills.
Had the temperature not briefly reached the mid-30s on Feb. 2, D.C.’s below-freezing streak would have hit 10 days. There hasn’t been a 10-day streak since 1935.
The Post, with its prodigious climate team—recently rolled into a “futures” department—stands out for its aggressive coverage.
But the Post was hardly the only liberal publisher predicting a rash of warm D.C. winters. In November, Axios, which has a large “Energy and Climate” vertical, predicted a “mild-ish” winter with less-than-average snowfall.
In an example of the circular reporting common in Washington, Axios cited reporting from the Post, which in turn cited experts asserting that D.C. residents shouldn’t expect “loads of white stuff this winter.” (The record cold streak included nearly 10 inches of snow in D.C. and surrounding areas.)
Several news outlets have been quick to explain the weather away. The cause: climate change.
Top: Snow and ice surround the Jefferson Memorial during a prolonged cold stretch in Washington, D.C.
Read rest at Free Beacon
Climate:
The average winter temperature in D.C. has risen by approximately 3.4°F to 4°F since the late 1800s, shifting from an average of roughly 35°F to nearly 40°F today.
Weather:
Despite the warming trend, D.C. still experiences intense cold. Research suggests that Arctic warming may be weakening the jet stream, causing it to “wave” further south. This brings temporary, bitterly cold Arctic air (the Polar Vortex) into mid-latitude regions like D.C., creating a sharp contrast with the otherwise warming trend.
We’ve gotten the same kind of nonsensical “reporting” in Canada, with the taxpayer funded CBC the leading offender. After years on their climate high horse, they’re mighty reluctant to climb down. The Guardian may be even slower to see reality, having boldly declared a few years ago that it was determined to cover the “existential crisis” the planet is facing.