PlainClimate

NOAA climate atlas · updated August 2026

District of Columbia Climate Data

Climate normals for 1 station-mapped location, based on Washington's official primary NOAA climate station.

average temperature
59°F (15°C)59.3°F · fleet p50 52.2°F · n=50
Warmer national band
annual precipitation
41.8"41.8 inches · fleet p50 43.7 inches · n=50
Drier than median
annual snowfall
13.7"13.7 inches · fleet p50 24.7 inches · n=50
Less snow than median
locations / stations
1 / 1State coverage: 1 locations / 1 stations. Benchmark context: this profile's measured location and NOAA-station counts.
State coverage

District of Columbia's climate in one line

District of Columbia averages 59°F a year - warmer than 76% of U.S. states.

59°F
statewide average · 76th percentile of states
42"
average annual precipitation
1
station-mapped location · 1 NOAA station

The district profile uses Washington's official primary NOAA station; it is a climatological reference record, not an average of multiple D.C. stations.

How District of Columbia ranks among all 50 states

District of Columbia's average temperature vs. all U.S. states

Statewide annual mean temperature, NOAA 1991–2020 normals

59°F Top 24% warmer than 76% of 50 U.S. states

30°F–35°F: 1 US states (2%). Below this entry. 35°F–40°F: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 40°F–45°F: 8 US states (16%). Below this entry. 45°F–50°F: 10 US states (20%). Below this entry. 50°F–55°F: 12 US states (24%). Below this entry. 55°F–60°F: 8 US states (16%). This entry sits in this band. 60°F–65°F: 7 US states (14%). Above this entry. 65°F–70°F: 2 US states (4%). Above this entry. 70°F–75°F: 2 US states (4%). Above this entry. D.C. 30°F 75°F every U.S. state, bucketed by value
  1. 30°F–35°F: 1 US states (2%). Below this entry.
  2. 35°F–40°F: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry.
  3. 40°F–45°F: 8 US states (16%). Below this entry.
  4. 45°F–50°F: 10 US states (20%). Below this entry.
  5. 50°F–55°F: 12 US states (24%). Below this entry.
  6. 55°F–60°F: 8 US states (16%). This entry sits in this band.
  7. 60°F–65°F: 7 US states (14%). Above this entry.
  8. 65°F–70°F: 2 US states (4%). Above this entry.
  9. 70°F–75°F: 2 US states (4%). Above this entry.

Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (statewide aggregate) · 1991–2020

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

District of Columbia Climate in Context

U.S. land-mean temperature anomaly (NOAA NCEI) tracked against global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP). Paris Agreement 1.5°C and 2.0°C thresholds shown as reference lines. District of Columbia sits within this national warming envelope; individual station-mapped locations below show local readings against this trend.

District of Columbia within U.S. vs Global Warming, 1900-2024 Anomaly chart from 1900 to 2024. Local series shows warming of 0.11 °C per decade versus a global rate of 0.11 °C per decade (ratio 1.00). Paris Agreement thresholds at 1.5 and 2.0 °C are dashed. -1.0°C -0.5°C +0.0°C +0.5°C +1.0°C +1.5°C +2.0°C +2.5°C Paris 1.5°C Paris 2.0°C 1900192019401960198020002020
  • United States (incl. District of Columbia) +0.11 °C/decade
  • Global (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
  • Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals + NASA GISTEMP land-ocean.

Station-mapped locations in District of Columbia

1 location with climate data

Scroll the table to browse every location, or use the complete CSV and JSON exports below.

Location Avg Temp Precip
Washington 59°F 41.8"

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 · 1991-2020 The District of Columbia profile uses Washington's official climate record from Reagan National Airport (USW00013743), whose station sits in Arlington, Virginia.

Climate Insight: District of Columbia

The District of Columbia profile represents Washington with its official NOAA climate record at Reagan National Airport (USW00013743). The station sits across the Potomac in Arlington, Virginia; PlainClimate names it here because the National Weather Service uses that record for Washington, D.C., and the location page discloses the station identity directly.

The 59°F annual temperature, 41.8 inches of precipitation, and 13.7 inches of snowfall are 1991–2020 normals for that reference station. They describe the typical Washington climate, not every neighborhood or a district-wide average of multiple monitoring sites.

For planning purposes, the location table above is sorted to help you compare averages side-by-side: annual mean temperature, average daily high and low, precipitation totals, snowfall, and PlainClimate's climate comfort score. That 1–100 score combines temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, snowfall burden, and frost-free growing-season length from each location's NOAA normal. It is a climate-only comparison, not a NOAA or overall livability rating. Use it as a starting point, then open each location profile for the exact score inputs, monthly breakdowns, degree-day totals, frost dates, and separately reported humidity metrics.

Nationwide similar states

Other states closest to District of Columbia on two NOAA statewide-average axes (annual temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.

Closest by average temperature

Nearest 50-state peers by avg_temp (59°F here).

Closest by annual precipitation

Nearest peers by avg_precip (41.8" here), excluding temperature-peer codes.

National state rankings →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average temperature in District of Columbia? ▼
District of Columbia averages 59°F a year across NOAA's 1991-2020 Climate Normals, warmer than 76% of U.S. states. That is 6.2°F above the 53.1°F average across all 50 states.

Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). For informational purposes only.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.