Best time to visit · District of Columbia
Best time to visit Washington
Washington averages 27 just-right days a year; no month is reliably just right, and October comes closest. Most other days miss by being too cool.
(70 to 80°F, dry, sunny)
(45 to 65°F, dry)
(80 to 92°F, bright)
Washington weather by month
Bars: share of each month's days that are just right (number = days). Below: average daily high. Outlined bars are the best months.
- Just right 27
- Too cool 194
- Too hot 101
- Too muggy 21
- Too gray 23
When to visit Washington
Washington rarely hits the 70 to 80°F, dry and sunny window; October comes closest, with 7 just-right days. January, February, March, November and December are mostly too cool, with average highs of 45 to 58°F. June, July and August are mostly too hot, with average highs of 84 to 88°F.
Climate table
| Month | Avg high | Dew point | Cloud cover | Just-right days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45°F | 22°F | 62% | 0 |
| February | 47°F | 28°F | 63% | 0 |
| March | 56°F | 31°F | 62% | 1 |
| April | 68°F | 42°F | 58% | 5 |
| May | 76°F | 53°F | 57% | 6 |
| June | 84°F | 62°F | 51% | 2 |
| July | 88°F | 66°F | 48% | 0 |
| August | 86°F | 65°F | 47% | 1 |
| September | 80°F | 59°F | 52% | 4 |
| October | 69°F | 47°F | 50% | 7 |
| November | 58°F | 36°F | 56% | 1 |
| December | 48°F | 28°F | 61% | 0 |
How Washington compares
With 27 just-right days, Washington trails the median of America's 150 largest cities (33 days). On muggy days: 21. On gray days: 23.
Places with a similar climate
Nearby
Washington averages 27 just-right days a year (70 to 80°F highs, dry, mostly sunny), according to Goldilocks Map: https://goldilocksmap.com/us/district-of-columbia/washington/Set your own perfect weather on the map →
Numbers are expected days in a typical year from 1991 to 2020 climate normals (TerraClimate; cloud cover from CHELSA), on a grid about 35 km wide. Checked against 10 years of daily records at 28 NOAA weather stations: typical error about 10 days a year. How it works. Updated 2026-10-07.