The mercury plunged to freezing at Dulles Airport this morning, tying the record low for the date set in 1996.  BWI Airport, which dropped to 34, also tied its record low from that year.

Reagan National Airport, whose record low of 41 from 1928 seemed more achievable, missed the milestone by one degree – with a low of 42.  Incredibly, the last time a record low was set at Reagan National during the month was May 20, 2002.  That is one of just three dates since 2000 that a record low has been set in any month at the airport: the others are April 8, 2007 (29) and August 7, 2004 (48).

For Dulles this was the 3rd latest spring freeze since records there began in 1963. Here is the list of the latest freezes (hat tip: Justin Grieser):

2002: May 22
1984: May 17
2013/1996: May 14
1976: May 13
1983: May 11

This morning was just the 4th time since 1873 that BWI recorded a low temperature of 34 or colder this late in the spring according to the National Weather Service. The other times were: May 17, 1956 (33); May 21, 2002 (34); and May 14, 1996 (34)

Outside of the immediate urban core of both Baltimore and Washington, and away from the Chesapeake Bay, most locations in the region dipped into the 30s, with scattered frost.