Washington in Winter
In winter (December, January and February), Washington sees average daytime highs around 49°F and overnight lows near 29°F, with 4.7 in of precipitation over about 17 wet days across the season. It is the coldest season of the year and the wettest season of the year.
Over the season highs climb from about 50°F in early December to 54°F by late February. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 49% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels dry.
Winter is Washington's weakest 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
- 49°F
- coldest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 29°F
- Precipitation
- 4.7 in
- 17 wet days
- Avg wind
- 5 mph
- Travel score
- 2.4
- weakest season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Washington in Winter
Over the season highs climb from about 50°F in early December to 54°F by late February.
A typical winter day in Washington reaches about 49°F and drops to 29°F overnight. The warmest of the three months is February, the coolest December.
How winter really feels in Washington
Once humidity and wind are folded in, winter brings about 0 days that feel above 90°F and 90 that feel at or below 32°F.
The story in winter is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.
Washington weather by month
How the three winter months (December, January and February) 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 Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 49% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Washington gets around 4.7 in of rain and snow over 17 wet days across winter. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Winter
Most of winter feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Winter
Winds average 5 mph across winter.
Sunrise & sunset in Winter
Daylight runs from about 9 h 36 min in early December to 11 h 06 min by late February. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Winter
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across winter, about 3.2 kWh/m².
Is winter a good time to visit Washington?
Our two travel scores rate winter for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
winter is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Washington.
What to pack for Washington in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Washington sees daytime highs around 49°F and nights near 29°F. Pack a warm layer. About 17 days see rain.
UV index in Washington in Winter
Clear-sky midday UV across winter averages around 3 — 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.