Laurel Mills Historic District · Photo: self · CC BY 3.0In Washington, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 86°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 62°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 60% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from November to March, the months that average under 50°.
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 Virginia 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 192 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 16 and the first by October 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sperryville, VA, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Washington’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 4°. 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 21 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Sperryville, VA, is heaviest from January through February, about 7 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 128 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Washington
84% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Sperryville, VA.
Living with Washington’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
192 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 16 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Washington from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Washington and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Washington yet.
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, VA | 24° | 86° | 44" | 21" |
| Newport, KY | 24° | 86° | 45" | 23" |
| Forestville, OH | 23° | 86° | 45" | 23" |
| Lawrenceburg, IN | 23° | 86° | 45" | 23" |
| Uniondale, NY | 25° | 85° | 46" | 19" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Washington averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 65% 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.
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 Virginia’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 Sperryville, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 24° | 3.0" | 6.9" | 10 | 7 | 25° – 40° |
| February | 47° | 26° | 2.3" | 6.9" | 9 | 7 | 27° – 44° |
| March | 55° | 32° | 3.5" | 1.9" | 11 | 2 | 37° – 53° |
| April | 67° | 42° | 3.5" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| May | 74° | 50° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| June | 82° | 59° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 86° | 64° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| August | 84° | 62° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| September | 78° | 55° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| October | 67° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| November | 56° | 34° | 3.1" | 0.3" | 8 | 0 | 40° – 50° |
| December | 47° | 28° | 3.2" | 4.8" | 10 | 5 | 28° – 48° |
| Year | 65° | 43° | 43.6" | 21.0" | 128 | 22 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 48°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
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: Sperryville, VA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sperryville, VA, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- 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 86°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 56% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Washington in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 104 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Washington get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter at Sperryville, VA, heaviest from January through February, about 7 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 22 days a year.
How hot does it get in Washington?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 64°. About 27 days a year reach 90° (Sperryville, VA).
When is the first and last frost in Washington?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 16 and the first fall frost by October 27, about 192 frost-free days, at Sperryville, VA.
What growing zone is Washington in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 4°.
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, June, 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 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% 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.