Historical weather data, all-time temperature records, and monthly climate averages for Downtown DC, DC. Explore typical weather conditions by week for trip planning, and see how today compares to the historical record.
April 5th in DC sits right in the thick of spring's tug-of-war — the average high is a pleasant 65°, but this date has swung from a scorching 85° back in 1956 to a bitter 26° in 1964. There's roughly a 1-in-3 chance of rain today, so keep an umbrella handy, though snow is essentially off the table at this point in the season.
DC's weather has real range — the all-time high of 106° in July 2011 and the all-time low of -10° in January 1982 tell you this city doesn't do things halfway. A single June day in 2006 dumped 7.37 inches of rain, and January 1966 buried the city under 16 inches of snow in one storm.
DC peaks in late July, when average highs touch 90° during the warmest week of the year, and bottoms out in mid-January around a chilly 43°. Summer is also the wettest stretch — expect nearly an inch and a quarter of rain in a typical week in early-to-mid July. Spring and fall are the sweet spots for visitors, with highs in the 60s and 70s and far less humidity.