I experienced a Rochester winter twice, which is misleading to say because Rochester winters never end. DC winters are considerably warmer and more pleasant, and there's less of a chance that some snowplow will pile snow in front of your driveway. 

Rochester also laughs in the face of inclement weather - they don't shut down for anything. Alternately, DC freaks out if there's an inch of snow (I am okay with this, because you get a free day off).