Washington, DC Climate

Washington, DC has a humid subtropical climate, with hot and humid summers and cold winters. Summers are generally very warm and humid with temperatures often reaching the mid-80s to mid-90s Fahrenheit (30°C). However, due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, temperatures rarely exceed 100°F (38°C). Winters in Washington, DC can be quite cold, with temperatures typically in the 30s Fahrenheit (-1°C) and occasionally falling below 0°F (-18°C). Snowfall usually occurs from late November through early April. Washington, DC also experiences high levels of rainfall throughout the year.

Washington, District of Columbia gets 43 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Washington averages 14 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 203 sunny days per year in Washington. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Washington gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 114 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 89 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 27
Rain: averages 43 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 14 inches of snow a year

BESTPLACES COMFORT INDEX

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Washington is 7.3 (10=best), which means it is one of the most pleasant places in the District of Columbia.

7.5 / 5.9

Summer / Winter

September, May and October are the most pleasant months in Washington, while January and February are the least comfortable months.

Climate Averages

	Washington, District of Columbia	United States
	43.3 in.	38.1 in.
	13.7 in.	27.8 in.
	114.3 days	106.2 days
	203 days	205 days
	88.5°	85.8°
	26.5°	21.7°
	7.3	7
	4.1	4.3
	23 ft.	2443 ft.

CLIMATE

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

July is the hottest month for Washington with an average high temperature of 88.5°, which ranks it as one of the hottest places in the District of Columbia. In Washington, there are 3 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Washington are September, May and June.

In Washington, there are 35.8 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the hottest places in the District of Columbia.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Washington with an average of 26.5°. This is one of the warmest places in the District of Columbia.

In Washington, there are 79.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the coldest places in the District of Columbia.

In Washington, there are 0.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is one of the coldest places in the District of Columbia.

The humidity can be uncomfortably heavy or close in Washington during the summer months. July is the most humid month, though humidity is low for most of the year. July, August and June are the three most humid months in Washington.

July is the wettest month in Washington with 4.4 inches of rain, and the driest month is February with 2.8 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 27% of yearly precipitation and 21% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 43.3 inches in Washington means that it is one of the wettest places in the District of Columbia.

May is the rainiest month in Washington with 11.5 days of rain, and October is the driest month with only 8.1 rainy days. There are 114.3 rainy days annually in Washington, which is one of the rainiest places in the District of Columbia. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 28% of the time and the driest is Winter with only a 22% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 13.7 inches in Washington means that it is one of the snowiest places in the District of Columbia. January is the snowiest month in Washington with 5.5 inches of snow, and 5 months of the year have significant snowfall.

Annual Rainfall (US Avg: 36.5")

Annual Snowfall (US Avg: 25")

Precipitation Days (US Avg: 100)

Sunny Days (US Avg: 205)

Avg. July High Temp (US Avg: 86.5)

Avg. January Low Temp (US Avg: 20.5)

Reviews for Washington 97 Reviews

JOHN · Arlington, VA

The worst

Over 3 years ago

Living in DC long term brings on a kind of insidious misery. A long, slow, simmering down of any natural optimism or desire for a better future. It’s a leach of a town More

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P · Los Angeles, CA

It was time to leave.

Over 4 years ago

Parts are beautiful but alot is rundown and ghetto. They always show the monuments and upper nw neighborhoods but never show hoods across the Anacostia River. Crime is More

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Fritz · Alexandria, VA

Great town with it's challenges

Over 5 years ago

Moved to DC 40 years ago from Mpls-St. Paul. DC is an amazing town. Downside is people are very competitive, everything is expensive. Great restaurants, foodie heaven More

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Washington, DC Climate

United States / District of Columbia / Washington-Arlington-Alexandria Metro Area / District of Columbia County / Washington / Zip Codes

Weather Highlights

BESTPLACES COMFORT INDEX

Climate Averages

YOU SHOULD KNOW

In Washington, there are 35.8 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the hottest places in the District of Columbia.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Washington with an average of 26.5°. This is one of the warmest places in the District of Columbia.

In Washington, there are 79.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the coldest places in the District of Columbia.

In Washington, there are 0.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is one of the coldest places in the District of Columbia.

The humidity can be uncomfortably heavy or close in Washington during the summer months. July is the most humid month, though humidity is low for most of the year. July, August and June are the three most humid months in Washington.

An annual snowfall of 13.7 inches in Washington means that it is one of the snowiest places in the District of Columbia. January is the snowiest month in Washington with 5.5 inches of snow, and 5 months of the year have significant snowfall.

Reviews for Washington 97 Reviews

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