Cost to Own
United States › District of Columbia › District of Columbia › Climate Station WASHINGTON REAGAN AP, VA US Distance 4 mi Normals 1991–2020

30-year climate normals

District of Columbia Climate and Weather Averages

Hottest month — July

89.6°

average daily high. The coldest month is January, averaging a low of 30.1°F.

District of Columbia gets 41.82" of precipitation a year and 13.7" of snow, and 30% of it falls in May, Jun, Jul.

Temperature through the year

Each bar spans the average daily low to the average daily high for that month.

40° 60° 80° JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
MonthAvg highAvg low PrecipSnow
January 44.8° 30.1° 2.86" 4.9"
February 48.3° 31.8° 2.62" 5.0"
March 56.5° 38.6° 3.50" 2.0"
April 68.0° 48.4° 3.21" 0.0"
May 76.5° 58.0° 3.94" 0.0"
June 85.1° 67.5° 4.20" 0.0"
July 89.6° 72.4° 4.33" 0.0"
August 87.8° 71.0° 3.25" 0.0"
September 80.7° 64.1° 3.93" 0.0"
October 69.4° 52.2° 3.66" 0.0"
November 58.2° 41.6° 2.91" 0.1"
December 48.8° 34.5° 3.41" 1.7"

Rainfall by month

Precipitation is spread fairly evenly through the year here, with 30% falling in the wettest three months (May, Jun, Jul).

January 2.86"
February 2.62"
March 3.50"
April 3.21"
May 3.94"
June 4.20"
July 4.33"
August 3.25"
September 3.93"
October 3.66"
November 2.91"
December 3.41"
Annual total 41.82"

What this climate costs you

Degree days measure how hard a building has to work to stay comfortable. They are the reason two identical houses have very different power bills, and they are the link between the weather here and what you pay every month.

Cooling degree days How much air conditioning the climate demands 1,738
Heating degree days How much heating the climate demands 3,769
Approximate annual cooling cost At 25.4¢/kWh, District of Columbia average $441
Approximate annual electric heating cost Lower where heating is gas rather than electric $335

These are rough planning figures from degree days and the state electricity price, not a bill estimate. House size, insulation and fuel type move them a lot. See the full cost of owning a home in District of Columbia, where electricity is one line of eight.

Common questions

What is the weather like in District of Columbia?

District of Columbia averages a high of 89.6°F in July and a low of 30.1°F in January. Annual precipitation is 41.82 inches, including 13.7 inches of snow.

When is the rainy season in District of Columbia?

The wettest stretch is May, Jun, Jul, which accounts for 30% of the year's precipitation. Precipitation is relatively evenly distributed across the year.

How hot does it get in District of Columbia?

The average daily high in July, the hottest month, is 89.6°F. That drives 1,738 cooling degree days a year, which is what your air conditioning has to work against.

Does it snow in District of Columbia?

Yes. District of Columbia averages 13.7 inches of snow a year.

Sources

  • Temperature, precipitation and snowfall normals — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 Monthly Climate Normals, station WASHINGTON REAGAN AP, VA US (USW00013743), 4 miles from the county centroid.
  • Heating and cooling degree days — NOAA, same station and period.
  • Electricity price — US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, District of Columbia residential average.
  • Wet-season share is the wettest three consecutive months as a percentage of annual precipitation, calculated from the monthly normals.