Photo by Flickr user rjv541.

As the snow totals have been steadily piling up, we’ve all been thinking that we can’t remember ever seeing this much snow in D.C. before. Well, now it’s official: no one has seen this much snow in D.C., at least not since Pat Collins‘ great-great-granddad started sticking yardsticks in area snowpacks back in 1884. As of 2:00 this afternoon, the National Weather Service reports that this is indeed the snowiest winter in recorded history for D.C., Baltimore, and Dulles.

From the NWS statement:

AS OF 2 PM TODAY…WITH THE 9.8 INCH TWO-DAY SNOWFALL TOTAL
AT RONALD REAGAN WASHINGTON NATIONAL AIRPORT…THE SEASONAL SNOWFALL TOTAL IN WASHINGTON DC STANDS AT 54.9 INCHES. THIS WOULD BREAK THE PREVIOUS ALL-TIME SEASONAL SNOWFALL RECORD FOR WASHINGTON DC OF 54.4 INCHES SET IN THE WINTER OF 1898-99.

With February being far from over, and what is often the snowiest part of the season for D.C. yet to come, it looks like this will be the winter you’ll be telling your own great-grandkids about decades from now.