What is the hottest month in Washington?

July is Washington's hottest month, with the highest average daily high of the year. The month-by-month table above shows Washington's exact average high and low for each month, based on the 1991–2020 climate normals — the standard 30-year reference period meteorologists use.

What is the coldest month in Washington?

January is Washington's coldest month, with the lowest average daily low of the year. The averages-by-month chart above gives the exact average high and low for every month, so you can see how cold a typical winter day runs.

How much does it rain in Washington?

Washington's total annual precipitation and its wettest and driest months are shown in the rainfall-by-month section above. Those figures are 1991–2020 normals — the average monthly precipitation total across that 30-year window — so they reflect a typical year rather than any single wet or dry season.

What months are best to visit Washington?

The most comfortable months in Washington are usually the shoulder seasons — spring and fall — when temperatures sit between the summer peak and winter low and rainfall is moderate. Compare the average high, low, and precipitation for each month in the table above to pick the window that fits the weather you want.

Has Washington gotten hotter?

Yes. The warming-stripes chart above plots Washington's annual mean temperature for every complete year of station data from 1942 to 2025, and the trend line fitted to 1942–2025 rises about 3.3°F (+0.40°F per decade) — recent decades average warmer than the start of that window.

What is the record high temperature in Washington?

Washington's all-time record high — the hottest single day in the station record — is shown in the records section above, along with the date it occurred. Records are drawn from the nearest long-term weather station's full daily history, which begins in 1941, so they capture the most extreme heat on record, not just a typical summer day.

What is the record low temperature in Washington?

Washington's all-time record low and the date it was set appear in the records section above. Like the record high, it comes from the station's full daily history back to 1941, so it reflects the coldest day on record rather than an average winter low.

Washington, District of Columbia Climate

Washington weather by month — average highs and lows, rainfall, all-time records, and the warming record since 1942

Hottest month: 90°FJuly average high
Coldest month: 30°FJanuary average low
Precipitation: 41.8 ina year
Snowfall: 13.7 ina year

1991–2020 NOAA climate normals

At 10:19 AM EDT on Sep 21 it was 71°F in Washington — about the 70°F typical for that hour (estimated from the Sep 21 normal high of 78°F and low of 62°F, interpolated from the monthly normals).

Washington weather by month

Average high, low, and rainfall for every month, from Washington’s 1991–2020 climate normals, the standard 30-year reference period. Each band runs from the month’s average low to its average high: a tall band is a big day-to-night swing.

45°30°

2.9″Jan

48°32°

2.6″Feb

57°39°

3.5″Mar

68°48°

3.2″Apr

77°58°

3.9″May

85°68°

4.2″Jun

90°72°

4.3″Jul

88°71°

3.3″Aug

81°64°

3.9″Sep

69°52°

3.7″Oct

58°42°

2.9″Nov

49°35°

3.4″Dec

Average high → low (°F)Rainfall (inches)1991–2020 normals

Washington monthly weather averages — average high, average low, and rainfall for each month, from the 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals (NOAA).
Month	Avg High	Avg Low	Rainfall
January	45°F	30°F	2.9 in
February	48°F	32°F	2.6 in
March	57°F	39°F	3.5 in
April	68°F	48°F	3.2 in
May	77°F	58°F	3.9 in
June	85°F	68°F	4.2 in
July	90°F	72°F	4.3 in
August	88°F	71°F	3.3 in
September	81°F	64°F	3.9 in
October	69°F	52°F	3.7 in
November	58°F	42°F	2.9 in
December	49°F	35°F	3.4 in
Annual	68°F	51°F	41.8 in

Washington’s warming record since 1942

Washington has warmed 3.3°F since 1942 (+0.40°F per decade, 1942–2025 trend)

Not what a typical year looks like, but how the typical year has changed. Each stripe is one complete year’s average temperature at the station, 1942 to 2025, colored against the mean of those years: blue for cooler years, red for warmer ones. The figure under the stripes is the least-squares trend line fitted to 1942–2025 — Washington averages about 3.3°F warmer by that trend than in 1942.

Compared with the national rankingThe fastest-warming cities ranking fits every city to the same years, 1970–2025, so rates compare like for like. Over that window Washington warms at +0.45°F per decade, #47 of 66. The figure above uses the station’s own record, 1942–2025, so the two rates differ.

Washington rainfall by month

Washington averages 41.8 inches of precipitation a year. The wettest month is July and the driest is February.

Washington also averages 13.7 inches of snowfall a year.

Washington temperature records

All-time record high: 105°Fset August 17, 1997
All-time record low: -5°Fset January 17, 1982

Records are drawn from the nearest long-term weather station’s full daily history, so they capture the most extreme single day Washington has recorded — not a typical seasonal high or low.

Frequently asked

What is the hottest month in Washington?: July is Washington's hottest month, with the highest average daily high of the year. The month-by-month table above shows Washington's exact average high and low for each month, based on the 1991–2020 climate normals — the standard 30-year reference period meteorologists use.
What is the coldest month in Washington?: January is Washington's coldest month, with the lowest average daily low of the year. The averages-by-month chart above gives the exact average high and low for every month, so you can see how cold a typical winter day runs.
How much does it rain in Washington?: Washington's total annual precipitation and its wettest and driest months are shown in the rainfall-by-month section above. Those figures are 1991–2020 normals — the average monthly precipitation total across that 30-year window — so they reflect a typical year rather than any single wet or dry season.
What months are best to visit Washington?: The most comfortable months in Washington are usually the shoulder seasons — spring and fall — when temperatures sit between the summer peak and winter low and rainfall is moderate. Compare the average high, low, and precipitation for each month in the table above to pick the window that fits the weather you want.
Has Washington gotten hotter?: Yes. The warming-stripes chart above plots Washington's annual mean temperature for every complete year of station data from 1942 to 2025, and the trend line fitted to 1942–2025 rises about 3.3°F (+0.40°F per decade) — recent decades average warmer than the start of that window.
What is the record high temperature in Washington?: Washington's all-time record high — the hottest single day in the station record — is shown in the records section above, along with the date it occurred. Records are drawn from the nearest long-term weather station's full daily history, which begins in 1941, so they capture the most extreme heat on record, not just a typical summer day.
What is the record low temperature in Washington?: Washington's all-time record low and the date it was set appear in the records section above. Like the record high, it comes from the station's full daily history back to 1941, so it reflects the coldest day on record rather than an average winter low.