Many Georgetown University students faced difficulties returning to campus for the first day of classes after a major winter storm covered Washington, D.C., with 7.2 inches of snow falling near Reagan National Airport Jan. 6.
According to the National Weather Service, the snowfall was one of the largest storms D.C. has seen in years. The extreme nature of the storm, which affected millions from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic, raised concerns about possible worsening effects of climate change in the region.
Although NASA reported that 2024 was the hottest year on record, this unusually strong snowstorm could be a result of Earth’s warming average temperatures. While it is true that, on average, less snow is falling as a result of climate change, a Nature study published in Oct. 2024 found that Arctic warming is correlated with more severe winter weather in the Northern Hemisphere, including the northeastern United States.
This winter weather could be related to disruptions to the polar vortex, an area around Earth’s North and South Poles characterized by low pressure and cold air. The polar vortex can expand during winters in the Northern Hemisphere, sending frigid weather southward into areas that are typically not that cold.
The polar vortex is contained by rapid currents, known as jet streams, which are maintained by the temperature difference between the Arctic and regions to its south. However, with the Arctic warming nearly four times faster than the rest of the globe, changing temperature differences disrupt this balance, allowing jet streams of cold air to reach further south more frequently.
The winter storm that struck the District spanned many Midwestern and Southern states, causing extensive damage and power outages.
Alexis Bond (SFS ’26), who lives in Kentucky, said her county experienced major power outages and extensive damage from frozen branches falling off trees.
“The ice storm was pretty bad. 60% of my county lost power, and there was a lot of tree damage,” Bond wrote to The Hoya. “While it was sleeting outside before it snowed in my area, there were a lot of loud crashes outside. My family went to see what was happening, and all of the trees in our neighborhood were frozen and many limbs were falling on roofs and in the road. We stood outside and watched them crack and fall every few minutes.”
As a result of weather-related travel delays, many Georgetown students struggled to get back to campus in time for the start of classes Jan. 8. Nola Melvin (CAS ’27) said she had to come back to campus later than anticipated due to the snow making it unsafe to travel.
“I was planning to come back on Monday, but the snow made it a little too dangerous for my family to drive me back so I came back on Wednesday instead,” Melvin told The Hoya.
Ally Lightburn (MSB ’27), a student from Massachusetts whose flight was canceled, said she was surprised about the occurrence of such a large snowstorm in D.C.
“I was slightly concerned about traveling back to school with the snow,” Lightburn said to The Hoya. “My original JetBlue flight was canceled, and I had to try other airlines to get back to campus on Monday night. I was surprised as I am from Massachusetts, and we didn’t have any snow there.”
Despite the increase in intensity of winter storms, they are becoming rarer overall. As a result of global warming, one study published in Sept. 2024 reported that the United States is projected to experience an increase in wet, as opposed to snowy, winters. Furthermore, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported 170 weather stations across the mainland United States observed a decrease in snow as a proportion of total precipitation between 1949 and 2024.
For all its inconveniences, many considered the snow in some ways to be a welcome visitor. Melvin said she took the opportunity to enjoy the winter weather.
“The snowstorm was a lot of fun. I played with my siblings and went snowboarding. We made snowmen and sledded in our backyard,” Melvin said.
After D.C. experienced its warmest year on record in 2024, many students, like Lightburn, have embraced the increasingly rare sight of snow on campus.
“When I did arrive on campus, I was excited about the snow as it was the first I have seen this winter,” Lightburn said.
