Washington-Arlington-Alexandria Metro Area, DC Climate

The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC Metro Area has a humid subtropical climate characterized by hot and humid summers and cold winters. In the summer, temperatures can reach up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit or higher with high humidity levels. Winters are chilly with temperatures mostly in the mid 30s to low 40s Fahrenheit. Snowfall is relatively common for the area, though it usually melts quickly due to the mild climate. The region receives an average of 41 inches of rain annually.

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria Metro Area, District of Columbia gets 43 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria Metro Area averages 17 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 207 sunny days per year in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria Metro Area. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria Metro Area gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 114 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 87 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 25
Rain: averages 43 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 17 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area is 7.3 (10=best), which means it is one of the most pleasant places in the District of Columbia.

8 Summer - 5.8 Winter

September, May and June are the most pleasant months in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area, while January and February are the least comfortable months.

Climate	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, District of Columbia	United States
	43.1 in.	38.1 in.
	17.3 in.	27.8 in.
	114.1 days	106.2 days
	207 days	205 days
	87.2°	85.8°
	24.8°	21.7°
	7.3	7
	4.1	4.3
	328 ft.	2443 ft.

Climate

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

July is the hottest month for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area with an average high temperature of 87.2°, which ranks it as one of the coolest places in the District of Columbia. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area, there are 3 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area are September, May and June.

In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area, there are 26.4 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the coolest places in the District of Columbia.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area with an average of 24.8°. This is one of the coldest places in the District of Columbia.

In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area, there are 92.1 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the coldest places in the District of Columbia.

In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area, there are 0.4 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is one of the coldest places in the District of Columbia.

The humidity is usually acceptable in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area but some summer months can be sticky or muggy. July is the most humid month, though humidity is low for most of the year. July, August and June are the three most uncomfortably humid months in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area.

May is the wettest month in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area with 4.3 inches of rain, and the driest month is February with 2.8 inches. The wettest season is Summer with 27% of yearly precipitation and 21% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 43.1 inches in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area means that it is one of the driest places in the District of Columbia.

May is the rainiest month in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area with 11.5 days of rain, and October is the driest month with only 8.0 rainy days. There are 114.1 rainy days annually in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area, which is one of the least rainy places in the District of Columbia. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 28% of the time and the driest is Winter with only a 22% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 17.3 inches in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area means that it is one of the snowiest places in the District of Columbia. January is the snowiest month in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area with 6.5 inches of snow, and 5 months of the year have significant snowfall.

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John · Milwaukie, OR

DC is growing and has great wages

Over 3 years ago

Good place for employment, high wages, diverse & well educated population, transit, local parks and spring & fall weather. High cost of living and rat race atmosphere More

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