2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Charleston, SC vs Washington, DC

Highlights

On average, there are 203 sunny days per year in Washington. Charleston averages 209 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. Charleston, South Carolina gets 48.3 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. Charleston averages 0.4 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

Charleston, South Carolina
Summer High: the July high is around 89.9 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 39.3
Rain: averages 48.3 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0.4 inches of snow a year

BestPlaces Comfort Index

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.

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Charleston is 7.2 (10=best), which means it is less comfortable than most places in South Carolina.

Today's Weather - Charleston, SC

67°F

Today's Weather - Washington, DC

60°F

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

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

July is the hottest month for Charleston with an average high temperature of 89.9°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in South Carolina. In Charleston, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Charleston are October, May and April.

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.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Charleston with an average of 39.3°. This is one of the warmest places in South Carolina.

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 Charleston, there are 41.1 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in South Carolina.

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 Charleston, there are 17.5 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the warmest places in South Carolina.

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 Charleston, there are 0.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in South Carolina.

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.

August is the wettest month in Charleston with 6.7 inches of rain, and the driest month is May with 2.5 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 36% of yearly precipitation and 19% occurs in Summer, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 48.3 inches in Charleston means that it is wetter than most places in South Carolina.


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.

August is the rainiest month in Charleston with 11.7 days of rain, and May is the driest month with only 6.8 rainy days. There are 105.9 rainy days annually in Charleston, which is rainier than most places in South Carolina. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 32% of the time and the driest is Summer with only a 21% 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.

An annual snowfall of 0.4 inches in Charleston means that it is less snowy than most places in South Carolina.

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

December is the snowiest month in Charleston with 0.2 inches of snow, and no months of the year have significant snowfall.

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