Austin is 8.9°C (16°F) warmer by day, Austin has 6.2°C (11.2°F) warmer nights, Washington gets 270 mm (10.6 in) more rain a year.
Austin is at its warmest in August and coolest in January, while Washington peaks in July and bottoms out in January. Month for month, Austin is the warmer of the two in 12 of 12 months.
Washington is the wetter of the two, collecting 1,108 mm (43.6 in) of rain a year against 838 mm (33 in) in Austin. The most comfortable time to visit is April, May and October in Austin and May, June and September in Washington.
| Austin | Metric | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| 🌡️ Temperature | ||
| 80.2°F | 🌡️Average daytime high | 64.2°F |
| 57.6°F | 🌙Average nighttime low | 46.4°F |
| August | 🔥Hottest month | July |
| January | ❄️Coldest month | January |
| 🌧️ Rain | ||
| 33 in | 🌧️Annual rainfall | 43.6 in |
| May | ☔Wettest month | July |
| February | 🏜️Driest month | February |
| 💨 Climate | ||
| 68% | 💧Average humidity | 76% |
| 2.9 m/s | 💨Average wind speed | 2.7 m/s |
Overnight, Austin typically falls to around 14.2°C (57.6°F) while Washington settles near 8°C (46.4°F).
Austin is hottest in August and coldest in January, whereas Washington peaks in July and is coolest in January.
Austin sees the most rain in May and the least in February; Washington is wettest in July and driest in February.
Washington feels the more humid of the two, averaging 76% relative humidity against 68%.
For Washington, the pick of the year is May, June and September.
Month by month, here is the coldest night, the average day and the hottest afternoon each city can expect. Switch Compare to read rainfall, humidity, wind or solar instead, and Period to move between the long-term 45-year average and any single year — the shading is a quick warm-to-cool guide.
| Month | Austin | Washington | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Min | Avg | Max | Min | Avg | Max | |
| January | 38.1 | 49.3❄️ | 60.6 | 24.8 | 32❄️ | 39.2 |
| February | 41.7 | 53.4 | 64.9 | 26.8 | 34.9 | 43 |
| March | 48.9 | 61 | 73 | 33.3 | 42.6 | 52 |
| April | 56.5 | 68.9 | 81.1 | 42.8 | 52.9 | 63.1 |
| May | 65.3 | 76.3 | 87.3 | 53.2 | 62.8 | 72.1 |
| June | 72.1 | 82.8 | 93.4 | 63 | 72.3 | 81.5 |
| July | 74.7 | 85.6 | 96.6 | 68.9 | 78.3🔥 | 87.4 |
| August | 75.4 | 86.7🔥 | 97.9 | 67.5 | 76.8 | 86.2 |
| September | 69.4 | 80.4 | 91.4 | 60.4 | 70 | 79.5 |
| October | 59.4 | 71.1 | 82.8 | 48.2 | 57.9 | 67.6 |
| November | 48.6 | 59.9 | 71.1 | 37.6 | 46.4 | 55.2 |
| December | 40.6 | 51.6 | 62.6 | 29.5 | 36.7 | 44.1 |
| Annual Avg | 57.6 | 68.9 | 80.2 | 46.4 | 55.2 | 64.2 |
Min / mean / max temperature (°F). 🔥 marks each city's hottest month, ❄️ its coldest; shading runs cool blue to warm red.
The same figures plotted out, so the shape of a typical year is easier to see than in a grid. Where the two lines run close together Austin and Washington feel alike; where they separate, they are genuinely different places to be.
Hover or tap any point to read the exact figures. Austin Washington
See how Austin and Washington stack up against other cities. Swipe for more.
Choose which city to keep, then search for any other city in our database — we'll build the comparison for you.
Quick answers to the questions people ask most when comparing Austin and Washington — each drawn straight from the climate figures above.
Austin is the warmer of the two. It averages daytime highs of 26.8°C (80.2°F) against 17.9°C (64.2°F) in Washington — roughly 8.9°C (16°F) warmer by day. Nights are milder in Austin, with average lows of 14.2°C (57.6°F) versus 8°C (46.4°F).
Austin is hottest in August, averaging highs of about 36.6°C (98°F), while Washington peaks in July at around 30.8°C (87.5°F). That makes Austin the hotter of the two at the height of summer.
Washington gets colder. In its coldest month (January) overnight lows average about -4°C (24.8°F), compared with 3.4°C (38.1°F) at the low point of the year in Austin.
Washington is the wetter city, collecting about 1,108 mm (43.6 in) of rain a year versus 838 mm (33 in) in Austin. Austin is wettest in May and driest in February; Washington is wettest in July and driest in February.
Washington is the more humid of the two, averaging 76% relative humidity over the year against 68% in Austin.
The most comfortable months in Austin are April, May and October, when average temperatures are at their mildest.
Washington is at its most pleasant around May, June and September, based on the mildest average temperatures of the year.
Austin is the warmer city in all 12 months of the year. The gap is widest in February, about 10.3°C (18.5°F), and narrowest in July, about 4.1°C (7.4°F).
Washington has the bigger seasonal swing, about 25.7°C (46.3°F) between its coldest and hottest months versus 20.8°C (37.4°F) in Austin — so Austin has the steadier, more even climate.
On climate alone, Austin comes out ahead — it offers warmer days, less rain and lower humidity than Washington. Washington is the better fit only if you'd actually prefer cooler weather, more rainfall and a more humid climate.
Every figure on this page is calculated from NASA POWER satellite climate data spanning 1981–2025 (45 years). The averages describe the long-term climate of Austin and Washington, not a single year's weather or a short-range forecast.
