Where is Washington, District of Columbia?

Washington, DC is located at 38.905°N, 77.016°W. Use Weather Story to see forecasts, radar, and air quality for this location.

What weather data does Weather Story show for Washington?

Hour-by-hour forecasts, NOAA radar, GOES-19 satellite imagery, 7-day outlook, EPA air quality with cross-correlated insights, sunrise/sunset, climate normals, and microseason context.

Where does Weather Story get Washington weather data from?

Open-Meteo for forecasts (a public NWS/ECMWF aggregator), NOAA NESDIS/STAR for satellite imagery, RainViewer for radar tiles, Copernicus CAMS for air quality, and NOAA Climate Normals for the 30-year baselines.

How often does the Washington forecast update?

Forecasts refresh every 10 minutes. Radar updates every 5 minutes. GOES-19 satellite imagery updates every 10 minutes for the full-disk view and every 5 minutes for the CONUS sector.

Is Weather Story free to use for Washington weather?

Yes. Weather Story is built on open data sources (NOAA, Open-Meteo, ECMWF) and is free with no ads, no tracking pixels, and no app install required. The site renders the same data in a long-read format optimized for desktop and mobile.

When does it freeze in Washington?

The final spring frost usually occurs around mid-April, while the first fall frost typically arrives around mid-November.

What is the rainy season in Washington?

July records the highest monthly rainfall at approximately 4.6 inches, contributing to the city's annual total of roughly 46 inches.

What is the warmest month in Washington?

July typically records the highest temperatures, with averages around 80°F.

What is the coldest month in Washington?

January brings the coldest temperatures, averaging approximately 36°F.

When can I start a vegetable garden in Washington?

Cool-season vegetables like peas and lettuce can be planted around the last spring frost in mid-April, while warm-season crops such as tomatoes and peppers should wait 1–2 weeks later.

How many rainy days does Washington get?

The city experiences approximately 79 rainy days annually.

What hardiness zone is Washington?

Washington's USDA hardiness zone depends on average minimum winter temperatures; use the USDA's online zone finder with the city ZIP code for current zone information.

Washington, District of Columbia Weather

Fireflies rise from the lawn. Day 76 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Washington weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar

Washington, DC

Wednesday, June 3 at 11:16 PM

Clear

Feels like

77°

Humidity

24%

Wind

4 mph

Sunrise

5:43 AM

Sunset

8:28 PM

Washington, DC

Hour by hour · 24h

Washington, DC

7-day forecast

Today
Jun 3
Clear
—
—
84°54°—
Thursday
Jun 4
Overcast
—
—
89°59°+5°
Friday
Jun 5
Overcast
—
—
91°62°+2°
Saturday
Jun 6
Overcast
—
—
96°69°+5°
Sunday
Jun 7
Light Showers
26%
0.04″
84°68°-12°
Monday
Jun 8
Light Drizzle
16%
—
78°60°-6°
Tuesday
Jun 9
Mostly Clear
11%
—
84°56°+6°

Washington, DC

Next 24 hours · Mild now

Washington, DC

Anemometer · 24h winds · from true

From · True

034° · veering 99°

Direction

034°

Sustained

mph

Gust

mph

Peak 24h

avg 5

Beaufort · 2 · LIGHT BRZ

CALM

LIGHT AIR

1–3

LIGHT BRZ

4–7

GENTLE BRZ

8–12

MOD BRZ

13–18

FRESH BRZ

19–24

STRONG BRZ

25–31

NEAR GALE

32–38

24h · sust vs gust · mph

avg 5 · pk 14 @ 2:00a

−24h−18h−12h−6hnow

Washington, DC

Barometer · 24h pressure · mb

Pressure · mb

1018.9

-0.1 mb in 3h · steady · 30.09 inHg

Now

1018.9

-0.1

12h

-2.7

24h

-0.5

Regime · FAIR

STORM

RAIN

CHANGE

FAIR

DRY

24h · Pressure · mb

range 1019–1023

−24h−18h−12h−6hnow

Washington, DC

Air quality

AQI

Moderate

↑+31 in 6h

Ozone at AQI 61 now. AQI up 31 in the last 6 hours — air quality is degrading. With UV 0.2 peaking around 1 PM under clear skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 15 by mid-afternoon.

OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.

PM 2.5Good

3.1μg/m³

0123555150250

PM 10Good

3μg/m³

054154254354424

NO₂Good

9μg/m³

025100200400

OzoneDRIVERUnhealthy SG

114μg/m³

060100140200

UV IndexLow

0.3

025710

What's driving it

Ozone × UV × Sky

Ozone at AQI 61 now. With UV 0.2 peaking around 1 PM under clear skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 15 by mid-afternoon.

Present: AQI 61
UV peak: 0.2 at 1 PM
Sky at peak: clear
Projected peak: AQI 15

Trends

Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.

Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).

Washington, DC

Sky cover · visibility · 24h

Cloud cover

CLEAR

Visibility

147.2mi

UNLIMITED

Earth · GOES-19 ABI

Full Disk · Visible · GeoColor

True-color daytime, blue/IR sandwich at night

23:16 UTC ·Washington, DC · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · 21696x21696 px

Continental US · GOES-19 ABI

CONUS Sector · Visible · GeoColor

Daytime true-color, blue-light/IR sandwich at night

23:16 UTC ·Washington, DC · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · 5-min cadence · 10000x6000 px

Washington, DC

Satellite · infrared · animated

Washington, DC

Loading IR frames…

Washington, DC

Almanac · Wednesday, June 3

The higher the clouds, the finer the weather.

Civil dawn

9:13 AM

Sunrise

5:43 AM

Daylight

14h 45m

Sunset

8:28 PM

Civil dusk

1:01 AM

Planting note

Harvest spring lettuce before it bolts. Sow heat-tolerant greens.

Washington, DC

The moon

Waning Gibbous

88% illuminated

Moonrise: 2:54 AM
Moonset: 12:08 PM
In sign: ♑︎ Capricorn

Washington, DC

Microseason

Jun 1–5

Fireflies rise from the lawn

plant

Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Washington at a glance

Today vs. normal: 5°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
Last frost: April 9 (climatological average for this latitude)
Microseason: Jun 1–5
Planting window: Harvest spring lettuce before it bolts. Sow heat-tolerant greens.

Right now in the garden

Peak growing season

As of June 3, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.

Planting calendar

Month	Plant	Harvest
January	—	—
February	—	—
March	—	—
April	lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes	—
May	lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash	lettuce, peas, radishes
June	tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash	lettuce, peas, radishes
July	tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash	tomatoes, beans, summer squash
August	—	tomatoes, beans, summer squash
September	fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots	tomatoes, beans, summer squash
October	fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots	winter squash, tomatoes (last)
November	—	—
December	—	—

A year in weather

July brings Washington's peak temperatures at around 80°F mean, while January delivers the coldest conditions at approximately 36°F. Precipitation follows a different pattern, with July receiving the most rainfall at 4.6 inches and February seeing the least at 2.8 inches.

Month	Mean temp	Precip	Rainy days
January	36°	3.0″	6
February	39°	2.8″	5
March	46°	4.0″	7
April	57°	3.4″	7
May	67°	4.3″	8
June	76°	4.6″	8
July	80°	4.6″	7
August	79°	3.7″	7
September	72°	4.1″	6
October	59°	4.2″	5
November	49°	3.2″	5
December	41°	3.7″	7

Regional context

The city falls within the warm-summer humid continental climate classification, sharing temperature ranges, seasonal cycles, and growing conditions with other regional cities in this climate zone.

Naturalist notes

Cherry trees around the Tidal Basin typically reach peak bloom in early April, when daytime temperatures consistently stay above 50°F.

Red-winged blackbirds return to area wetlands by late March, their territorial calls marking the transition from winter to spring.

Frequently asked

When does it freeze in Washington?: The final spring frost usually occurs around mid-April, while the first fall frost typically arrives around mid-November.
What is the rainy season in Washington?: July records the highest monthly rainfall at approximately 4.6 inches, contributing to the city's annual total of roughly 46 inches.
What is the warmest month in Washington?: July typically records the highest temperatures, with averages around 80°F.
What is the coldest month in Washington?: January brings the coldest temperatures, averaging approximately 36°F.
When can I start a vegetable garden in Washington?: Cool-season vegetables like peas and lettuce can be planted around the last spring frost in mid-April, while warm-season crops such as tomatoes and peppers should wait 1–2 weeks later.
How many rainy days does Washington get?: The city experiences approximately 79 rainy days annually.
What hardiness zone is Washington?: Washington's USDA hardiness zone depends on average minimum winter temperatures; use the USDA's online zone finder with the city ZIP code for current zone information.

Climate

Washington, District of Columbia experiences a warm-summer humid continental climate. Temperatures range from January lows near 36°F to July highs averaging 80°F, creating a 44°F seasonal swing.

Annual precipitation totals approximately 46 inches, falling across roughly 79 rainy days throughout the year.

Location at 38.9°N latitude, along with nearby water bodies and local elevation, determines the growing seasons, frost timing, and daily weather patterns that define the region.

What's driving it

Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.

Fireflies rise from the lawn

Washington at a glance

Right now in the garden

Planting calendar

A year in weather

Regional context

Naturalist notes

Frequently asked

Climate

ZIP codes in Washington