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Best time to visit Washington

The best time to visit Washington is April–May and October, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

°C

mm

−10°0°10°20°30°40°
0100200300400500
  • Average daily high and low
  • Precipitation
  • Good month
  • Best month
  • Made good or best by an event
Average daily high and low temperature, average precipitation and each month's verdict
MonthAverage daily highAverage daily lowPrecipitationVerdict
January6.2 °C / 43 °F-2 °C / 28 °F75 mm / 2.9 inneither best nor good
February8.2 °C / 47 °F-1 °C / 30 °F76 mm / 3 inneither best nor good
March13.4 °C / 56 °F3.1 °C / 38 °F86 mm / 3.4 ingood month
April19.4 °C / 67 °F8.5 °C / 47 °F89 mm / 3.5 inbest month, for Cherry blossoms. The weather alone makes it good.
May24.1 °C / 75 °F14 °C / 57 °F101 mm / 4 inbest month, for Cherry blossoms. The weather alone makes it good.
June29.2 °C / 85 °F19 °C / 66 °F105 mm / 4.1 inneither best nor good
July31.6 °C / 89 °F21.8 °C / 71 °F116 mm / 4.6 inneither best nor good
August30 °C / 86 °F20.5 °C / 69 °F93 mm / 3.7 inneither best nor good
September26.3 °C / 79 °F16.7 °C / 62 °F105 mm / 4.1 ingood month
October20.3 °C / 69 °F10.2 °C / 50 °F88 mm / 3.5 inbest month
November13.7 °C / 57 °F3.9 °C / 39 °F70 mm / 2.8 ingood month
December8.8 °C / 48 °F0.4 °C / 33 °F98 mm / 3.9 inneither best nor good
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen

Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:

  • Daytime highs
  • Night-time lows
  • How warm it feels
  • Humidity
  • How much of the day is sunny
  • Hours of daylight
  • Monthly rainfall
  • How many days it rains
  • Days of heavy rain
  • Wind
  • Snowfall and days with snow
  • Major events, such as festivals

The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.

The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.

Best months by activity

Exploring outdoors

Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.

  1. JJanuary: neither
  2. FFebruary: neither
  3. MMarch: good
  4. AApril: best
  5. MMay: best
  6. JJune: neither
  7. JJuly: neither
  8. AAugust: neither
  9. SSeptember: good
  10. OOctober: best
  11. NNovember: good
  12. DDecember: neither
Best
April–May, October
Good
March, September, November

Washington's outdoor season peaks in October (mild and comparatively dry) and in spring, where the cherry blossoms lift April and May to best despite heavy rain; summer (June-August) turns hot, humid and rainy and is the weakest stretch, and winter (December-February) is cold and wet.

Why these months

  • March · good

    In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 71%, average daily high 13.4 °C / 56 °F, wet days 9.7 days, relative humidity 58%.

    Against: feels like (high) 10 °C / 50 °F, days with heavy rain 3 days, precipitation 86 mm / 3.4 in, average daily low 3.1 °C / 38 °F.

    Also on: Old Glory rugby season, Washington Spirit NWSL season.

  • April · best

    Good weather, made best by Cherry blossoms.

    In its favour: feels like (high) 17.3 °C / 63 °F, average daily high 19.4 °C / 67 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 72%, relative humidity 58%, average daily low 8.5 °C / 47 °F.

    Against: wet days 10.2 days, precipitation 89 mm / 3.5 in, days with heavy rain 2.6 days.

    Also on: Old Glory rugby season, Washington Spirit NWSL season.

    Watch out for: Cherry blossom crowds.

  • May · best

    Good weather, made best by Cherry blossoms.

    In its favour: feels like (high) 24.2 °C / 76 °F, average daily high 24.1 °C / 75 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 72%, average daily low 14 °C / 57 °F, relative humidity 66%.

    Against: wet days 11.9 days, precipitation 101 mm / 4 in, days with heavy rain 3.3 days.

    Also on: Around the World Embassy Tour / EU Open House, Chesapeake blue crab season, Helen Hayes Awards, Old Glory rugby season, Washington Spirit NWSL season.

    Watch out for: Cherry blossom crowds, Memorial Day.

  • September · good

    In its favour: feels like (high) 27.3 °C / 81 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 73%, average daily high 26.3 °C / 79 °F, wet days 9.6 days, average daily low 16.7 °C / 62 °F, relative humidity 71%.

    Against: precipitation 105 mm / 4.1 in, days with heavy rain 3.4 days.

    Also on: Chesapeake blue crab season, Old Glory rugby season, Washington Spirit NWSL season.

    Watch out for: Labor Day.

  • October · best

    In its favour: feels like (high) 19 °C / 66 °F, average daily high 20.3 °C / 69 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 71%, wet days 7.8 days, average daily low 10.2 °C / 50 °F, relative humidity 70%.

    Against: precipitation 88 mm / 3.5 in, days with heavy rain 2.9 days.

    Also on: Washington Spirit NWSL season.

    Watch out for: Columbus Day.

  • November · good

    In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 74%, wet days 7.7 days, average daily high 13.7 °C / 57 °F, relative humidity 65%.

    Against: days with heavy rain 2.2 days, precipitation 70 mm / 2.8 in, feels like (high) 10.8 °C / 51 °F, average daily low 3.9 °C / 39 °F.

    Also on: Washington Spirit NWSL season.

    Watch out for: Thanksgiving Day, Thanksgiving-to-New Year holiday travel season, Veterans Day.

An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Massanutten Resort, 160 km away.

Weather averages

Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.

  JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Feels like (high) 2.2 °C4.2 °C10 °C17.3 °C24.2 °C30.8 °C34.5 °C32.4 °C27.3 °C19 °C10.8 °C5.4 °C
Days with heavy rain 2.6 days2.6 days3 days2.6 days3.3 days3.7 days4.2 days3.3 days3.4 days2.9 days2.2 days3.5 days
Time rain usually falls 11 pm10 am12 pm3 pm5 pm5 pm6 pm6 pm5 pm2 pm1 pm9 pm
Sunshine per day 6.7 h7.5 h8.5 h9.6 h10.4 h11.7 h12.1 h10.9 h9.1 h7.9 h7.4 h6.2 h
Relative humidity 64%61%58%58%66%64%66%68%71%70%65%68%

Air quality

Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.

  JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–202510.8 µg/m³11.8 µg/m³8.9 µg/m³9.5 µg/m³13 µg/m³17.6 µg/m³16.6 µg/m³14.3 µg/m³11.2 µg/m³9.5 µg/m³9.6 µg/m³11.6 µg/m³
Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–202521.3 µg/m³22.6 µg/m³15.4 µg/m³16.6 µg/m³22.2 µg/m³28.8 µg/m³25.8 µg/m³24.2 µg/m³19.1 µg/m³16.9 µg/m³18.6 µg/m³22.5 µg/m³
  • Good 15 µg/m³ or less
  • Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
  • Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
  • Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
  • Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
  • Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³

Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.

Events and seasons

What the weather records cannot show. A major event can lift a month to good or best. The warnings are there to help you plan, and never count against a month.

Reasons to go

  • Cherry blossoms Major

    1 April–15 May, dates vary from year to year

  • Washington Spirit NWSL season

    March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November

  • Old Glory rugby season

    March, April, May, June, July, August and September

  • Around the World Embassy Tour / EU Open House

    May

  • Helen Hayes Awards

    May

  • Chesapeake blue crab season

    May, June, July, August and September

  • A Capitol Fourth

    4 July

  • Congressional recess

    August

Worth knowing before you go

  • New Year's Day

    1 January

  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day

    January, dates vary from year to year

  • Presidents' Day

    February, dates vary from year to year

  • Cherry blossom crowds

    April and May, dates vary from year to year

  • Memorial Day

    May, dates vary from year to year

  • Juneteenth

    19 June

  • Independence Day crowds

    4 July

  • Independence Day closures

    4 July

  • Labor Day

    September, dates vary from year to year

  • Columbus Day

    October, dates vary from year to year

  • Veterans Day

    11 November

  • Thanksgiving Day

    November, dates vary from year to year

  • Thanksgiving-to-New Year holiday travel season

    November and December, dates vary from year to year

  • Christmas

    24–25 December

Other places in United States

Compare places month by month on the travel calendar

Monthly averages over 2006–2025, unless stated otherwise.

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC-BY 4.0), generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information (ERA5). City data from GeoNames (CC-BY 4.0). Air quality from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) and sea temperature from Météo-France / Copernicus Marine, both via Open-Meteo.com. Coastline from Natural Earth. Ski areas from OpenSkiMap.org, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Skimap.org. World Heritage sites from Wikidata (CC0), from the World Heritage List © UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Readership from Wikimedia pageview data (CC0). Destination classification derived from English Wikivoyage, © Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).