DisasterAWARE
9
Extreme

winter-storm Winter Storm Risk in Washington, DC

Risk Level: Extreme — Score 9/10

FEMA: 9Historical: 10

Live Winter Storm alert status near Washington

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Live winter storm map around Washington

Shows winter storm warnings and events that are active right now, refreshed through the day. When none are active, the map is empty by design.

Key Risk Factors

  • FEMA rates Washington's county as Very High risk for this hazard
  • Estimated annual loss of $946K from this hazard type
  • 11 events recorded in proximity in recent decades
  • 2 event(s) in the 12 months to Aug 9, 2026
  • Average annual frequency: 10.1 events per year

Peak season: December-March

Last significant event: Winter Weather - Washington, D.C. metro, United States (2026-02-22) — 4,740,000 people exposed

Highest Risk Cities for Winter Storms

1
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
2
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
3
FEMA: 9Historical: 7
4
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
5
FEMA: 9Historical: 2
6
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
7
Washington, DC
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
8
FEMA: 9Historical: 9
9
FEMA: 9Historical: 8
10
FEMA: 9Historical: 10

How Washington Compares

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Notable Winter Storm Events Near Washington

DisasterAWARE's historical archive records 5 notable winter storm events near Washington, ranked below by impact. The most impactful: Winter Storm - Northeastern, United States (January 2025) — 14,500,000 people exposed; $3,305,094M capital exposed.

Winter Storm - Northeastern, United States

January 5, 2025 — WARNING

14,500,000 people exposed; $3,305,094M capital exposed

Winter Storm - Southeastern, United States

January 5, 2025 — WARNING

11,600,000 people exposed; $2,726,958M capital exposed

Winter Weather - Washington, D.C. metro, United States

February 22, 2026 — ADVISORY

4,740,000 people exposed; $1,572,473M capital exposed

Winter Storm - Southern Maryland and Central/Northern Virginia, United States

January 25, 2026 — WARNING

785,000 people exposed; $98,903M capital exposed

Winter Storms - Mid Atlantic, United States

November 14, 2018 — WARNING

Impact data not available

Winter Storm Preparedness Tips

  • 1.Stock emergency supplies including extra blankets, food, water, and medications
  • 2.Insulate pipes and know how to shut off water in case of pipe bursts
  • 3.Keep your vehicle's gas tank at least half full during winter months
  • 4.Have alternative heating sources and carbon monoxide detectors
  • 5.Stay off roads during ice storms and heavy snow events

Related Pages

How this data is built

Washington, DC winter storm risk combines Historical Event Intelligence with authoritative hazard modeling from the Geospatial Intelligence Layers catalog. Live winter storm monitoring is available through the Event Intelligence API and the DisasterAWARE Platform.

The data behind this page

Every score and event here comes from DisasterAWARE's hazard database — available as downloadable historical datasets and a real-time API.

Monitor Winter Storm Risk in Real Time

Get real-time winter storm alerts for Washington, DC and hundreds of other locations with DisasterAWARE's enterprise platform.