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Washington vs New York: Weather & Climate Compared

🇺🇸 Washington, United States · 🇺🇸 New York, United States
Warmer overall
Washington
Sunnier
Washington
More rainy days
Washington

Washington vs New York weather right now

🇺🇸 Washington weather

73°
Sunny
Feels like 65° · 14:49 local time

🇺🇸 New York weather

70°
Sunny
Feels like 57° · 14:32 local time

At this moment, Washington is the warmer of the two by 3°F (2°C).

The short answer

If warmth is the deciding factor, Washington wins: 57°F (14°C) on the annual mean against 54°F (12°C) in New York, a gap of 3.1°F (1.7°C).

Head to head

  • Sunshine: Washington collects 8.7 hours of daily sun across the year; New York manages 8.6.
  • Rain: the rain gauge favors New York: 128 wet days a year to Washington's 132.
  • Snow: New York is the snowy one, averaging about 10 snow days a year.
  • Peak heat: Washington tops out in July (88°F (31°C) highs); New York peaks in July (85°F (30°C)).
  • Coldest nights: winter bottoms out at 28°F (-2°C) in Washington (January) and 26°F (-3°C) in New York (January).

Washington vs New York month by month

Average highs and lows plus rainy days, from 2015–2024 weather data.
MonthWashington high / low New York high / low Washington rain daysNew York rain days
January 44° / 28° 40° / 26° 9 10
February 48° / 31° 43° / 26° 10 10
March 56° / 36° 49° / 33° 10 10
April 66° / 46° 60° / 42° 11 12
May 75° / 56° 70° / 53° 13 12
June 84° / 65° 79° / 62° 13 11
July 88° / 70° 85° / 69° 14 13
August 85° / 69° 83° / 68° 14 12
September 80° / 63° 77° / 62° 11 10
October 69° / 52° 66° / 51° 9 9
November 57° / 40° 54° / 39° 8 9
December 49° / 34° 45° / 32° 10 11

Who's warmer, month by month?

Washington is warmer in every single month - the question is never which city is milder, only by how much. The gap is widest in April, when Washington's afternoons run about 6°F (4°C) ahead, and narrowest in August, when the two nearly meet.

Sunshine, daylight and rain chance

Daily sunshine hours, daylight on the 15th of each month, and the chance that a given day is wet.
Month Washington sunNew York sun Washington daylightNew York daylight Washington wet-day chanceNew York wet-day chance
January 6.1 h6.1 h 9.7 h9.6 h 30%32%
February 7.0 h6.9 h 10.7 h10.6 h 36%34%
March 8.0 h8.2 h 11.8 h11.8 h 33%33%
April 9.2 h8.8 h 13.2 h13.2 h 38%40%
May 9.7 h9.9 h 14.3 h14.4 h 42%37%
June 11.5 h11.1 h 14.9 h15.1 h 43%35%
July 11.7 h11.6 h 14.6 h14.8 h 46%43%
August 10.8 h10.9 h 13.7 h13.8 h 45%40%
September 8.8 h9.1 h 12.4 h12.4 h 36%32%
October 8.0 h7.8 h 11.1 h11.0 h 28%29%
November 7.6 h7.1 h 10.0 h9.8 h 26%29%
December 6.0 h5.6 h 9.5 h9.3 h 31%35%

Seasons compared

Three-month averages. Months are named rather than seasons because the southern hemisphere has its summer in December - February.
MonthsWashington high / lowNew York high / low Washington rain daysNew York rain days Washington sunNew York sun
December - February 47° / 31° 42° / 28° 2930 6.4 h6.2 h
March - May 65° / 46° 60° / 43° 3434 9.0 h9.0 h
June - August 86° / 68° 82° / 67° 4136 11.3 h11.2 h
September - November 68° / 52° 66° / 51° 2827 8.1 h8.0 h

Best months for sightseeing

Counting months with average highs between 64°F and 82°F (18-28°C) and fewer than 12 wet days:

  • Washington: April, September, October (3 months)
  • New York: May, June, September, October (4 months)

Both cities are at their most comfortable in September, October, the easiest window for a trip that takes in both.

Records, distance and time difference

  • Washington records (2015-2024): high of 101° in July, low of -7° in February.
  • New York records (2015-2024): high of 100° in August, low of -5° in January.
  • Distance: Washington and New York are about 204 miles (328 km) apart as the crow flies.
  • Time difference: the two cities share the same local time right now.

Washington vs New York: quick answers

Is Washington warmer than New York?
On the annual mean, Washington is the warmer city by roughly 3.1°F (1.7°C), though the margin shifts with the seasons.
Which city is sunnier, Washington or New York?
Washington takes it: 8.7 sun hours a day averaged across the year, versus 8.6 for New York.
Which city gets more rain?
Washington - roughly 132 days with measurable precipitation a year, compared with 128 in New York.
Dig deeper
Washington climate guide New York climate guide United States weather All city comparisons
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