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2024 Compare Climate & Weather:
Santa Monica, CA vs Washington, DC

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Highlights

On average, there are 203 sunny days per year in Washington. Santa Monica averages 281 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Washington, District of Columbia gets 43.3 inches of rain, on average, per year. Santa Monica, California gets 13.7 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

Washington averages 13.7 inches of snow per year. Santa Monica averages 0 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.


Weather Highlights

Washington, District of Columbia
Summer High:
the July high is around 88.5 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 26.5
Rain: averages 43.3 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 13.7 inches of snow a year

Santa Monica, California
Summer High:
the July high is around 73.5 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 49.3
Rain: averages 13.7 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0 inches of snow a year


BESTPLACES COMFORT INDEX
Washington

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

7.3 / 10
September, May and October are the most pleasant months in Washington, while January and February are the least comfortable months.

Santa Monica

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Santa Monica is 9.2 (10=best), which means it is one of the most pleasant places in California.

9.2 / 10
August, September and July are the most pleasant months in Santa Monica, while January and February are the least comfortable months.


Today's Weather - Santa Monica, CA

3 PM PST

Sunny

70°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
This AfternoonSunny70° / 57°WSW 15 mph
ThursdayMostly Sunny68° / 55°S 5 to 10 mph
FridayPatchy Fog then Mostly Sunny67° / 55°SW 0 to 15 mph
SaturdayPatchy Fog then Mostly Sunny69° / 57°S 5 to 15 mph
SundayPatchy Fog then Mostly Sunny69° / 58°S 5 to 10 mph
MondayPatchy Fog then Mostly Sunny68° / 57°S 5 to 10 mph
TuesdayPatchy Fog then Mostly Sunny66° / 56°S 5 to 10 mph

Today's Weather - Washington, DC

3 PM PST

Partly Sunny

87°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
This AfternoonPartly Sunny87° / 65°W 14 mph
ThursdayShowers And Thunderstorms Likely77° / 58°NE 2 to 9 mph
FridayChance Rain Showers67° / 50°N 6 to 12 mph
SaturdayPartly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms68° / 51°W 7 to 10 mph
SundayChance Showers And Thunderstorms68° / 51°NW 8 to 14 mph
MondayMostly Sunny75° / 56°SW 6 to 12 mph
TuesdayChance Rain Showers78° / 60°S 12 mph

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
MonthSanta Monica, CAWashington, DC
January64° / 49°43° / 27°
February65° / 50°47° / 29°
March65° / 51°56° / 36°
April66° / 53°67° / 45°
May68° / 57°76° / 55°
June70° / 60°85° / 64°
July74° / 63°89° / 69°
August74° / 63°87° / 67°
September74° / 62°80° / 60°
October72° / 58°69° / 48°
November68° / 53°58° / 39°
December64° / 49°47° / 30°

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Santa Monica / Washington
MonthHot DaysFreezing DaysRainy DaysSnowy Days
January0 / 00 / 226 / 100 / 3
February0 / 00 / 186 / 90 / 2
March0 / 00 / 115 / 100 / 1
April0 / 10 / 22 / 100 / 0
May0 / 20 / 01 / 120 / 0
June0 / 70 / 01 / 100 / 0
July0 / 130 / 00 / 100 / 0
August0 / 100 / 00 / 90 / 0
September0 / 30 / 01 / 90 / 0
October1 / 00 / 12 / 80 / 0
November0 / 00 / 73 / 90 / 0
December0 / 00 / 195 / 100 / 1
August is the hottest month for Santa Monica with an average high temperature of 74.3°, which ranks it as one of the coolest places in California. In Santa Monica, there are 5 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Santa Monica are August, September and July.

July is the hottest month for Washington with an average high temperature of 88.5°, which ranks it as one of the hottest places in the District of Columbia. In Washington, there are 3 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Washington are September, May and June.


December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Santa Monica with an average of 48.6°. This is one of the warmest places in California.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Washington with an average of 26.5°. This is one of the warmest places in the District of Columbia.



In Santa Monica, there are 1.8 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the coolest places in California.

In Washington, there are 35.8 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the hottest places in the District of Columbia.



In Santa Monica, there are 0.1 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the warmest places in California.

In Washington, there are 79.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the coldest places in the District of Columbia.



In Santa Monica, there are 0.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in California.

In Washington, there are 0.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is one of the coldest places in the District of Columbia.



February is the wettest month in Santa Monica with 3.4 inches of rain, and the driest month is August with 0.0 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 61% of yearly precipitation and 1% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 13.7 inches in Santa Monica means that it is drier than most places in California.


July is the wettest month in Washington with 4.4 inches of rain, and the driest month is February with 2.8 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 27% of yearly precipitation and 21% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 43.3 inches in Washington means that it is one of the wettest places in the District of Columbia.


February is the rainiest month in Santa Monica with 5.9 days of rain, and August is the driest month with only 0.3 rainy days. There are 30.3 rainy days annually in Santa Monica, which is one of the least rainy places in California. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 53% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 4% chance of a rainy day.

May is the rainiest month in Washington with 11.5 days of rain, and October is the driest month with only 8.1 rainy days. There are 114.3 rainy days annually in Washington, which is one of the rainiest 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.



There is rarely any recorded snowfall in Santa Monica, ranking it as one of the least snowy places in California.

An annual snowfall of 13.7 inches in Washington means that it is one of the snowiest places in the District of Columbia.



Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in Santa Monica.

January is the snowiest month in Washington with 5.5 inches of snow, and 5 months of the year have significant snowfall.


DID YOU KNOW?

Many people confuse Weather and Climate, but they are different. Weather refers to the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, while Climate refers to the conditions of the atmosphere over a long period of time.

Weather, more specifically, refers to how the atmosphere behaves and its effects on life and human activities. Most people think of Weather in terms of what can be observed: temperature, humidity, precipitation, and cloudy/sunny conditions. Weather conditions constantly change on a minute-to-minute basis.

Climate is a record of the average weather conditions for a given place over a long period of time, often referred to as Climate Normals. A 30-year period of record is a common requirement to be considered a Climate Normal.


Reviews for Santa Monica    2 Reviews

Over 15 years ago

Hi. I'd like to know if you still feel the same way about living in Broomfield. I went there this past July to check it out (along with Lafayette, Boulder (can't  More

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Over 15 years ago

Apex is perfect for what you are looking for. It's close enough to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill to find a job and Cary the next town over, is a little more expensive but  More

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Reviews for Washington    2 Reviews

Over 15 years ago

Hi. I'd like to know if you still feel the same way about living in Broomfield. I went there this past July to check it out (along with Lafayette, Boulder (can't  More

   |    Reply

Over 15 years ago

Apex is perfect for what you are looking for. It's close enough to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill to find a job and Cary the next town over, is a little more expensive but  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Washington

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ZIPS IN SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
90405, 90403, 90404, 90402, 90401
ZIPS IN WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
20011, 20002, 20019, 20020, 20009, 20001, 20032, 20016, 20010, 20003, 45 total

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