Weather

Washington DC weather

Live rain radar, current conditions, an hour-by-hour outlook and a seven-day forecast for Washington DC, with original writing about the city's climate from The Daily Washington DC.

Today's briefing

# Weather Briefing: Washington DC It's a warm 23 degrees right now in DC, though the humidity makes it feel more like 27, and we're heading for a scorcher today with temperatures climbing to 32 degrees and minimal rain risk at just 5 per cent. With a UV index of 8, you'll want to slap on sunscreen before heading out, and given the heat, light, breathable clothing will be your friend. The weekend takes a turn for the cooler and wetter, with Saturday and Sunday both topping out around 39 to 40 degrees and a 37 per cent chance of rain both days, so keep an umbrella handy.

25°

Mainly clear · feels like 29°

Today: 31° / 21°
Humidity: 88%
Wind: 8 km/h NE
UV index: 4 · Moderate
Sunrise: 5:45 am
Sunset: 8:37 pm
Updated: 9:30 am

Next 24 hours

Now
24°
1%
10am
25°
3%
11am
26°
3%
12pm
27°
3%
1pm
28°
3%
2pm
30°
5%
3pm
30°
4%
4pm
31°
2%
5pm
31°
1%
6pm
31°
1%
7pm
31°
2%
8pm
29°
1%
9pm
27°
1%
10pm
25°
1%
11pm
24°
1%
12am
23°
1%
1am
22°
1%
2am
22°
1%
3am
22°
1%
4am
21°
1%
5am
21°
1%
6am
20°
1%
7am
22°
1%
8am
23°
1%

Live rain radar

Drag to pan, scroll the page over it

Animated rain radar via RainViewer (Bureau of Meteorology sources). Full BOM radar loop.

Seven-day forecast

Sun
Overcast
31° 21°
Rain 5%
Mon
Overcast
34° 20°
Rain 4%
Tue
Thunderstorm
39° 22°
Rain 2%
Wed
Clear
42° 27°
Rain 2%
Thu
Thunderstorm
42° 25°
Rain 20%
Fri
Drizzle
40° 25°
Rain 37%
Sat
Showers
39° 22°
Rain 37%

Air quality

Moderate

US AQI

PM2.5: 13
PM10: 14
Ozone: 88

Air quality by Open-Meteo (CAMS), in µg/m³.

Sun and moon

Sunrise: 5:45 am
Sunset: 8:37 pm
Daylight: 14h 52m

Full moon

100% lit

From the weather desk

Washington DC weather, explained

How to read the Washington DC forecast

A good forecast is really three views at once. The current panel tells you what it feels like outside right now, which is what matters before you head out the door. The hourly strip is for planning the next part of your day: when the rain band arrives, when the wind picks up, when it is warm enough to walk. The seven-day outlook is for the week ahead, and it is most reliable in the first three or four days. Read it from the top down and you will almost always have what you need for Washington DC.

What the UV index actually means

The UV index rates the strength of the sun's ultraviolet radiation on a simple scale. Below 3 is low and you can be outside safely without protection. From 3 to 7 is moderate to high, the point at which sunburn becomes likely within an hour, so a hat and sunscreen earn their keep. Above 8 is very high to extreme, and skin can burn in minutes around the middle of the day. The index peaks at solar noon, not at the hottest part of the afternoon, so the safest habit is to check the number rather than judge by the temperature.

Why the overnight low matters as much as the high

Daytime maximums get the headlines, but the overnight minimum shapes how the day actually feels. A cold night means a slow, crisp start and, on clear evenings, the chance of fog or frost before dawn. A mild night means the warmth carries over and the morning is comfortable from the outset. Clear skies let heat escape and push the low down; cloud cover traps it and keeps the night warmer. That is why two days with the same maximum can feel completely different depending on the night that came before.

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Weather data by Open-Meteo. The Daily Washington DC is independent and not affiliated with any government weather agency.

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