Photo: Ralf Roletschek - Infos über Fahrräder auf fahrradmonteur.de Wikis in der Ausbildung · CC BY-SA 3.0In Washington, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 27°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 71% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Central heating does most of its work from November to March, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Washington at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Washington’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Washington’s place in District of Columbia beside it.
What a year in Washington feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 241 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 24 and the first by November 18. Frost and day counts come from Washington Reagan Airport, Washington’s official weather station (the one in National Weather Service reports), 4 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Washington’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 11°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 14 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Washington Reagan Airport, is heaviest from January through February, about 5 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 118 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Washington
68% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Washington Reagan Airport.
Living with Washington’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
241 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 24 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 118 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Washington from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Washington and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Washington in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Washington’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington, DC | 27° | 89° | 44" | 14" |
| Vinton, VA | 27° | 88° | 45" | 15" |
| Chester, IL | 24° | 88° | 44" | 12" |
| Republic, MO | 23° | 88° | 45" | 14" |
| Harrison, AR | 26° | 89° | 47" | 9.5" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Washington averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 72% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods. In a city of 694,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Washington compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Washington’s place among District of Columbia’s.
Washington weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Washington’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Washington Reagan Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 27° | 2.9" | 4.9" | 10 | 4 | 27° – 42° |
| February | 47° | 28° | 2.6" | 5.0" | 9 | 4 | 28° – 45° |
| March | 56° | 35° | 3.8" | 2.0" | 11 | 1 | 40° – 55° |
| April | 67° | 45° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| May | 76° | 55° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| June | 84° | 64° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| July | 89° | 69° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| August | 87° | 67° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| September | 80° | 60° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| October | 69° | 48° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| November | 57° | 38° | 3.1" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| December | 48° | 31° | 3.7" | 1.7" | 10 | 1 | 30° – 50° |
| Year | 67° | 47° | 44.3" | 13.7" | 118 | 10 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 50°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Washington’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Washington’s center.
- Snow: Washington Reagan Airport (the official station).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Washington Reagan Airport, 4 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height; the city’s official station.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Washington’s climate
What is the weather like in Washington?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Washington in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 60 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Washington get?
About 14 inches in a normal winter at Washington Reagan Airport, heaviest from January through February, about 5 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 10 days a year.
How hot does it get in Washington?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 69°. About 40 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Washington Reagan Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Washington?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 24 and the first fall frost by November 18, about 241 frost-free days, at Washington Reagan Airport.
What growing zone is Washington in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Washington?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Washington getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Washington.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.