Climate · Washington

Washington, OH climate

Washington has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
86°
173rd hottest of 2,573 Ohio towns
January low
23°
64th mildest of 2,573 Ohio towns
Rain + melted snow
42 in
875th wettest of 2,573 Ohio towns
Snow a winter
21 in
1104th least snowy of 2,536 Ohio towns
A normal year

What a year in Washington feels like

Winter

44° / 26°
Typical high / low · 8 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

66° / 42°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Apr 17

Summer

85° / 62°
Typical high / low · 26 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

67° / 44°
Typical high / low · First frost around Oct 25
Best months to be outsideAprMayJunSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Washington weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January41°23°3.1" 5.5"147 24° – 42°
February45°26°2.9" 6.7"148 23° – 44°
March55°33°4.0" 4.0"142 37° – 56°
April67°41°3.9" 0.6"130 49° – 60°
May76°51°4.5" 0150 57° – 71°
June83°60°4.1" 0130 67° – 75°
July86°64°4.3" 0130 70° – 80°
August85°62°3.2" 0120 69° – 78°
September79°55°3.1" 0100 63° – 72°
October68°43°3.0" 0120 52° – 61°
November55°33°2.5" 0.7"111 37° – 49°
December45°28°3.4" 3.3"153 26° – 46°
Year65°43°42.1"20.8"15621

“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.

Rain & snow

Rain and snow in Washington

Washington gets 42 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 156 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 21 days of the year.

42 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 58% of U.S. towns
21 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 56% of U.S. towns
21 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
Fewer than 58% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.5"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
6.7"
Frost & the growing season

About 191 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 17 and the first one by October 25. That leaves about 191 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 65% of U.S. towns.

106
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
2
nights below 0° in a normal year
26
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Washington

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Washington, 81% of that work is heating and 19% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

81%heating
4,788 heating degree daysLess heating than 70% of U.S. towns
1,142 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 67% of U.S. towns

Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.

Around Washington

Washington and its neighbors

Washington borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.9°. Nile has the coldest January nights (23°) and Rush the hottest July afternoons (87°). Washington’s January low is 23° and its July high 86°.

Brush Creek: January low 23°, July high 85°Green: January low 23°, July high 86°Jefferson: January low 23°, July high 86°Portsmouth: January low 23°, July high 86°Rosemount: January low 24°, July high 86°Harrison: January low 24°, July high 86°Jefferson: January low 23°, July high 85°Valley: January low 23°, July high 86°Porter: January low 24°, July high 87°Lucasville: January low 24°, July high 86°Morgan: January low 23°, July high 85°Nile: January low 23°, July high 85°Union: January low 23°, July high 86°Clay: January low 24°, July high 86°Rush: January low 24°, July high 87°Washington: January low 23°, July high 86° WashingtonNileUnionClayRush
ColderMilder23° to 24°
Nile22.8° −0.6°
Union23.3° −0.1°
Washington23.4°
Clay23.5° +0.1°
Rush23.7° +0.3°

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Washington compares

Summer heat86° July high
Hotter than 57% of U.S. towns173rd hottest of 2,573 Ohio towns
Winter cold23° January low
Milder than 68% of U.S. towns64th mildest of 2,573 Ohio towns
Precipitation42" a year
Wetter than 58% of U.S. towns875th wettest of 2,573 Ohio towns
Snow21" a winter
Less snow than 56% of U.S. towns1104th least snowy of 2,536 Ohio towns
Growing season191 frost-free days
Longer than 65% of U.S. towns293rd longest of 2,573 Ohio towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+1.3°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Washington averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°). The shift is larger than in 59% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.1° now 35°, was 33°
🌷 Spring+1.3° now 54°, was 52°
☀️ Summer+0.9° now 73°, was 72°
🍂 Fall+1.1° now 56°, was 55°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Washington’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 23° to 44°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Washington’s climate

What is the coldest month in Washington?

January, with a typical high of 41° and a low of 23°.

What is the hottest month in Washington?

July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 64°. About 26 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Washington get?

About 21 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.

When is the first frost in Washington?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 25, and the last spring frost by April 17.

What is the rainiest month in Washington?

May, with 4.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 42 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Washington itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Warnock 2, KY (18 mi, snow) and Portsmouth-sciotoville, OH (9 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

The porch light’s on

Where to, neighbor?

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