Would like to plan a short trip to D.C. with my kids (ages 12 and 9) during Feb break for a long weekend (Presidents Weekend). Was wondering how the weather is during this time? We're from NY so used to cold weather. We'd be doing the monuments a few musuems and possibly Mt Vernon.

The weather won't be any worse than what you get in NY in Feb. Usually dreary and cold. We have not had very much snow here in the last few winters. When it snows it can impede moving around in the city by taxi, but the subway still runs (although it can get crowded since some people stay off the roads) and unless it is a huge unusual snow, the govt. and museums stay open.

Do go to Mount Vernon. In case you have not seen it, a whole new area has opened there, a new interactive visitor's center with theaters and movies, etc. So you'll have somewhere nice to go inside there also.

We went last year to DC in Feb, and it's cold! But, you deal with it.

I highly recommend the Marriot Crystal City at Reagan Airport as a place to stay. The following is what I wrote about the hotel on TripAdvisor:

We stayed at the Crystal City Marriott for a Friday and Saturday night in late February. We drove in from southern Virginia with our 2 children- 10 and 5. We choose this particular hotel for several reasons: 1. The hotel is connected, via cover walkways/hallways, to 2 mall/shopping areas and the Crystal City Metro stop. Because of the time of year we visited, we thought that being able to walk to restaurants and the Metro without having to go outside would be a big plus...and it was! Corridors were very clean, well lit, and we never felt unsafe walking thru. The only negative was that we visited on the weekend, and many of the shops and the food courts were closed. The larger restaurants, however, were open, and we had 2 very good dinners. There's a Dunkin' Donuts right next to the Metro that was open. Reason #2: It had an indoor pool. We know what our children enjoy: swimming and playing in a pool. The pool was very nice. There was an attendant, and there were plenty of towels available. The hotel even put some of the exersize equipment (from the adjacent fitness room, which we did not use) overlooking the pool, so some people could take advantange of the machines while watching their children in the pool. There is a hottub, but much to my childrens' chagrin, they were not allowed to use it. (Maybe they had to go in with an adult, and we didn't have our bathing suits on or maybe they had to be 16. We didn't ask.)

Other comments: Parking is very close- in an underground/covered garage connected to the corridors right outside the hotel. Cost is $16/day. Room was clean. Average sized room/beds/bathroom. We would definitely stay here again, and we've stayed in many hotels in the DC area.

Yep, it will most likely be cold and wet in February. On the plus side, you'll have far fewer crowds to dodge. You can also take the kids ice skating at a couple of outdoor rinks downtown.

February is not only likely to be cold in Washington, most of Washington's biggest snowstorms have occurred in that month. That is my memory of living here for 46 years. Metro Washington is notoriously bad in responding to big snows but this has improved of late in the suburbs. As for the city, nothing is run well there.

Similar to NYC - perhaps a few degrees warmer. You could get a blizzard - but it's very unlikely.

Compared to NYC, DC will seem downright balmy to you.

Crowds should be light - most folks around here would rather go skiing that weekend.

Mt Vernon is great. Parts of it are like an open-air museum (read: no climate control) but a bright sunny day will make it a non-issue.

Though it's a bit of a drive from downtown DC (right next door to IAD), I bet your kids would get a kick ot of the Udvar-Hazy wing of the Air & Space Museum.

I will be cold, but not quite as cold as NYC. A big positive is that Feb. is the least crowded time to visit. In spring and summer the tourist sites are horribly crowded.

You might want to save Mt. Vernon for another visit when the gardens are in bloom and the farm exhibits are open.

IMO, the most important thing is to pick a hotel very convenient to Metro. You do NOT want to try to use car for seeing DC. Parking is a pain. In some areas of City, almost non-existent. There's no way to avoid some walking from Metro stops to places of interest, like the various muesuems on the Mall, but at least if your hotel is very near a stop, you'll minimize the time outdoors . . .always a good idea in DC in the winter.