Washington in Spring
In spring (March, April and May), Washington sees average daytime highs around 69°F and overnight lows near 45°F, with 2.5 in of precipitation over about 12 wet days across the season. It is the 3rd-warmest season and the 2nd-wettest season.
Over the season highs climb from about 56°F in early March to 82°F by late May. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 52% of the time across spring, and the air most often feels dry.
Spring is Washington's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Washington's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 69°F
- 3rd-warmest season
- Avg overnight low
- 45°F
- Precipitation
- 2.5 in
- 12 wet days
- Avg wind
- 6 mph
- Travel score
- 7.1
- best season of the year
- Months
- Mar · Apr · May
Temperature in Washington in Spring
Over the season highs climb from about 56°F in early March to 82°F by late May.
A typical spring day in Washington reaches about 69°F and drops to 45°F overnight. The warmest of the three months is May, the coolest March.
How spring really feels in Washington
Once humidity and wind are folded in, spring brings about 0 days that feel above 90°F and 10 that feel at or below 32°F.
The story in spring is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.
Washington weather by month
How the three spring months (March, April and May) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°F) | Rainfall (inches) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48° / 28° | 1.6 | 5.4 | 2.8 | 9.7 | 2.1 |
| Feb | 52° / 31° | 1.8 | 6.3 | 3.1 | 10.6 | 3.2 |
| Mar | 60° / 38° | 1.4 | 5.8 | 1.8 | 11.7 | 5.6 |
| Apr | 68° / 44° | 0.7 | 3.7 | 0.7 | 12.9 | 7.5 |
| May | 78° / 53° | 0.4 | 2.2 | 0 | 14 | 8.3 |
| Jun | 89° / 62° | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0 | 14.5 | 5.6 |
| Jul | 94° / 70° | 0.2 | 1.2 | 0 | 14.3 | 3.7 |
| Aug | 92° / 68° | 0.3 | 1.7 | 0 | 13.4 | 4.3 |
| Sep | 84° / 59° | 0.4 | 1.9 | 0 | 12.3 | 7.2 |
| Oct | 71° / 46° | 0.7 | 2.9 | 0.1 | 11 | 8.3 |
| Nov | 57° / 35° | 0.9 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 10 | 5.1 |
| Dec | 47° / 28° | 1.3 | 4.9 | 2.7 | 9.5 | 1.8 |
Cloud cover in Spring
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 52% of the time across spring.
Chance of precipitation in Spring
Washington gets around 2.5 in of rain and snow over 12 wet days across spring. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Spring
Most of spring feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Spring
Winds average 6 mph across spring.
Sunrise & sunset in Spring
Daylight runs from about 11 h 06 min in early March to 14 h 18 min by late May. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Spring
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across spring, about 6.8 kWh/m².
Is spring a good time to visit Washington?
Our two travel scores rate spring for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
spring is one of the better times to visit Washington for general sightseeing.
What to pack for Washington in Spring
From spring's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In spring, Washington sees daytime highs around 69°F and nights near 45°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and a warm layer. About 12 days see rain.
UV index in Washington in Spring
Clear-sky midday UV across spring averages around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Washington peaks around July 15 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 18 at about 2 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | High | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3 | Moderate |
| Feb | 4 | Moderate |
| Mar | 5 | Moderate |
| Apr | 6 | High |
| May | 8 | Very high |
| Jun | 11 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 10 | Extreme |
| Sep | 8 | Very high |
| Oct | 6 | High |
| Nov | 3 | Moderate |
| Dec | 2 | Moderate |
Where is Washington?
Washington sits at 37.1°N, 113.5°W, 2,792 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Saint George, 4.3 mi away.
Topography around Washington
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Washington.
Within 2 miles, the terrain around Washington has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 787 ft around an average of 2,854 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,137 ft; within 50 miles, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 9,291 ft.
The land around Washington is covered by artificial surfaces (40%), shrubs (23%) and bare terrain (21%) within 2 miles, grassland (31%), bare terrain (27%) and shrubs (25%) within 10 miles, and shrubs (34%), grassland (28%) and trees (24%) within 50 miles.
United States travel facts
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 120 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 100% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $90,027
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.8 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 98%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 5.8
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 12.7
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Washington (37.1305°, -113.5083°, elevation 2,792 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google.