Washington is 2.5°C (4.5°F) warmer by day, Washington has 2.1°C (3.8°F) warmer nights, New York gets 106 mm (4.2 in) more rain a year.
New York is at its warmest in July and coolest in January, while Washington peaks in July and bottoms out in January. Month for month, Washington is the warmer of the two in 12 of 12 months.
New York is the wetter of the two, collecting 1,214 mm (47.8 in) of rain a year against 1,108 mm (43.6 in) in Washington. The most comfortable time to visit is June, August and September in New York and June, August and September in Washington.
| New York | Metric | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| 🌡️ Temperature | ||
| 73.9°F | 🌡️Average daytime high | 78.4°F |
| 30.2°F | 🌙Average nighttime low | 34°F |
| July | 🔥Hottest month | July |
| January | ❄️Coldest month | January |
| 🌧️ Rain | ||
| 47.8 in | 🌧️Annual rainfall | 43.6 in |
| July | ☔Wettest month | July |
| February | 🏜️Driest month | February |
| 💨 Climate | ||
| 80% | 💧Average humidity | 76% |
| 1.6 m/s | 💨Average wind speed | 2.7 m/s |
Overnight, New York typically falls to around -1°C (30.2°F) while Washington settles near 1.1°C (34°F).
New York is hottest in July and coldest in January, whereas Washington peaks in July and is coolest in January.
New York sees the most rain in July and the least in February; Washington is wettest in July and driest in February.
New York feels the more humid of the two, averaging 80% relative humidity against 76%.
For Washington, the pick of the year is June, August 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 | New York | Washington | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Min | Avg | Max | Min | Avg | Max | |
| January | 3.9 | 28.2❄️ | 52.5 | 9.7 | 34.2❄️ | 58.6 |
| February | 6.6 | 30 | 53.6 | 13.1 | 37 | 60.8 |
| March | 15.1 | 39.4 | 63.7 | 20.1 | 45.3 | 70.5 |
| April | 27.1 | 50.7 | 74.3 | 29.3 | 54.1 | 78.8 |
| May | 37.6 | 59.5 | 81.5 | 40.5 | 62.8 | 84.9 |
| June | 47.3 | 67.6 | 88 | 51.1 | 71.4 | 91.6 |
| July | 56.5 | 74.5🔥 | 92.5 | 60.1 | 78.1🔥 | 95.9 |
| August | 54.7 | 73 | 91.2 | 58.1 | 76.5 | 94.8 |
| September | 44.8 | 66.2 | 87.8 | 48.4 | 69.4 | 90.5 |
| October | 32.9 | 55.6 | 78.3 | 35.2 | 58.6 | 82 |
| November | 23.5 | 45.5 | 67.5 | 25.5 | 48.6 | 71.4 |
| December | 13.1 | 35.1 | 57.2 | 16.5 | 39.2 | 61.7 |
| Annual Avg | 30.2 | 52.2 | 73.9 | 34 | 56.3 | 78.4 |
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 New York and Washington feel alike; where they separate, they are genuinely different places to be.
Hover or tap any point to read the exact figures. New York Washington
See how New York 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 New York and Washington — each drawn straight from the climate figures above.
Washington is the warmer of the two. It averages daytime highs of 25.8°C (78.4°F) against 23.3°C (73.9°F) in New York — roughly 2.5°C (4.5°F) warmer by day. Nights are milder in Washington, with average lows of 1.1°C (34°F) versus -1°C (30.2°F).
New York is hottest in July, averaging highs of about 33.6°C (92.4°F), while Washington peaks in July at around 35.5°C (96°F). That makes Washington the hotter of the two at the height of summer.
New York gets colder. In its coldest month (January) overnight lows average about -15.6°C (3.9°F), compared with -12.4°C (9.7°F) at the low point of the year in Washington.
New York is the wetter city, collecting about 1,214 mm (47.8 in) of rain a year versus 1,108 mm (43.6 in) in Washington. New York is wettest in July and driest in February; Washington is wettest in July and driest in February.
New York is the more humid of the two, averaging 80% relative humidity over the year against 76% in Washington.
The most comfortable months in New York are June, August and September, when average temperatures are at their mildest.
Washington is at its most pleasant around June, August and September, based on the mildest average temperatures of the year.
Washington is the warmer city in all 12 months of the year. The gap is widest in February, about 3.9°C (7°F), and narrowest in November, about 1.7°C (3.1°F).
New York has the bigger seasonal swing, about 25.7°C (46.3°F) between its coldest and hottest months versus 24.4°C (43.9°F) in Washington — so Washington has the steadier, more even climate.
On climate alone, Washington comes out ahead — it offers warmer days, less rain and lower humidity than New York. New York 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 New York and Washington, not a single year's weather or a short-range forecast.
