2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Washington, DC vs Detroit, MI

Highlights

On average, there are 183 sunny days per year in Detroit. Washington averages 203 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Detroit, Michigan gets 33.5 inches of rain, on average, per year. Washington, District of Columbia gets 43.3 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

Detroit averages 33 inches of snow per year. Washington averages 13.7 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.

Weather Highlights

Detroit, Michigan
Summer High: the July high is around 83.5 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 18.5
Rain: averages 33.5 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 33 inches of snow a year

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

BestPlaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Detroit is 6.9 (10=best), which means it is one of the most pleasant places in Michigan.

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.

Today's Weather - Washington, DC

82°F

Today's Weather - Detroit, MI

68°F

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Washington / Detroit

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.

July is the hottest month for Detroit with an average high temperature of 83.5°, which ranks it as one of the hottest places in Michigan. In Detroit, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Detroit are June, August and September.

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.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Detroit with an average of 18.5°. This is one of the warmest places in Michigan.

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 Detroit, there are 9.5 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the hottest places in Michigan.

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 Detroit, there are 126.7 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the warmest places in Michigan.

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.

In Detroit, there are 2.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is one of the warmest places in Michigan.

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.


June is the wettest month in Detroit with 3.5 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 1.8 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 29% of yearly precipitation and 18% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 33.5 inches in Detroit means that it is about average compared to other places in Michigan.

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.

December is the rainiest month in Detroit with 12.1 days of rain, and February is the driest month with only 9.0 rainy days. There are 125.2 rainy days annually in Detroit, which is less rainy than most places in Michigan. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 26% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 24% chance of a rainy day.

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

An annual snowfall of 33.0 inches in Detroit means that it is one of the least snowy places in Michigan.

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

January is the snowiest month in Detroit with 10.2 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.