Historical weather data, all-time temperature records, and monthly climate averages for Sterling, VA. Explore typical weather conditions by week for trip planning, and see how today compares to the historical record.
April 4th in Sterling runs mild on paper — average high of 65°, average low of 40° — but the historical spread tells a wilder story. This date has seen a balmy 84° (1981) and a brutal 21° low (2013), a 63-degree range that captures Northern Virginia spring in a nutshell. Rain is a real possibility at 40%, so keep a jacket handy either way.
Sterling's weather has teeth on both ends: the thermometer has hit 104° in July 2011 and crashed to -19° in January 1984, a jaw-dropping 123-degree range over the station's history. The wettest single day dropped 6.64 inches during the remnants of a 2008 tropical system, while February 2010's 23.2-inch snowstorm remains the gold standard for a bad commute.
Sterling is classic Mid-Atlantic — hot, humid summers peaking around 89° in late July, and cool but not brutal winters bottoming out near 41° in mid-January. Spring and fall are the sweet spots for comfortable outdoor visits, with April and October both averaging highs in the mid-to-upper 60s. If you're rain-averse, avoid mid-May, which is the wettest stretch of the year.