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Washington Heights weather by month: averages, rainfall & climate trends

Seasons run to extremes in Washington Heights: monthly means span 45.5°F between the coldest month and the warmest. No season stands out as markedly wetter. Precipitation arrives fairly evenly year-round. Washington Heights weather by month: average temperatures, rainfall, extremes and how the climate has changed since 1940.

Today vs average

+11.8°Fhigh well above average

71° / 40°Today
59° / 47°Average
see today in detail →

How it's changed

+3.0°Faverage temperature, 2016–2025 vs 1940–1949average temperature vs 1940–4961frost days a year now (2016–2025) · 86 in the 1940sfrost days a year · 86 in the 1940s25days above 86°F a year now (2016–2025) · 13 in the 1940sdays above 86°F · 13 in the 1940s+3.0°F vs the 1940s · see how it's changed →
Weather by montha typical year, averaged over the full recordJanuary, rain 3.3 incheshigh 37°low 25°February, rain 3.2 incheshigh 39°low 26°March, rain 4.1 incheshigh 47°low 34°April, rain 3.8 incheshigh 58°low 44°May, rain 3.9 incheshigh 69°low 55°June, rain 3.5 incheshigh 78°low 64°July, rain 4.1 incheshigh 83°low 70°August, rain 4.0 incheshigh 81°low 68°September, rain 3.5 incheshigh 74°low 61°October, rain 3.4 incheshigh 63°low 50°November, rain 3.6 incheshigh 52°low 41°December, rain 3.9 incheshigh 41°low 31°wettest month July, 4.1 inches · 44.2 inches a yearsee month by month →

Right now

What it's doing today vs the historical average for this date.
Clear

Right now

66.2°

62°feels like
41%humidity
42°dew point
7 mphfrom W
UV index3.7
sunrise07:19sunset17:59day length10h 40m
TodayClear71°40°
TueClear57°43°
WedOvercast62°39°
ThuClear69°54°
FriClear74°57°
SatOvercast62°51°
SunOvercast63°55°

On this date: October 26

Today (forecast)
71° / 40°
Average for October 26
59° / 47°

High well above average · +11.8°F

  • Highest since 1940: 71.9° · 2023
  • Lowest since 1940: 33.8° · 1952
  • One year ago: 58° / 47°

Every October 26 in history, coldest to hottest

▲ Daily highs▼ Daily lows

Dots show daily highs (top) and lows (bottom) for each October 26 on record (n = 87). Outlined dots are today's forecast.

Area we sample

Each city's history comes from one ERA5 grid cell, about 28 km across, shown by the dashed box. Near mountains or coasts, conditions can vary across the cell.

Location & data

Historical weather for Washington Heights is sampled from the ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis at 40.85°N, 73.94°W, with daily records since 1940.

Coordinates
40.85°N, 73.94°W
Time zone
America/New York
Period
1940–2026
Data source
ERA5 (ECMWF)

Last 30 days

19 of the last 31 days were warmer than the historical average for that date. Average difference: +0.8°F.

Each bar is one day, from morning low to afternoon high. Warm-colored bars are days whose mean ran above average; cool bars ran below. The dot inside the bar is the daily mean. The shaded band is the typical 10–90% range expected for that date. Average = the day's mean temperature averaged across every year of record (1940–2026) for that calendar date.

This date over the years

One dot per year, showing the mean temperature on this calendar date. Dots are warmer or cooler than the long-term average (dashed line); the shaded band is the typical 10–90% range, and the highlighted dot is today's forecast. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Weather by month

Average temperatures and rainfall for each month: a typical year, from the full record.

Climate overview

The year peaks in July, at around 82.8°F by mid-afternoon, with nights around 69.8°F. Roughly 25 days a year now top 86°F. In January, the coolest month, afternoons reach about 36.8°F and nights dip to 24.9°F.

The yearly total for Washington Heights comes to about 44.2 inches; monthly amounts range from 3.2 inches in February up to 4.1 inches in July.

Over the full record (since 1940), the annual mean temperature in Washington Heights has risen by 3.0°F between its first decade and its last. Where the first decade averaged 85 frost days a year, the recent one saw about 60.

Climate graph (climograph)

July is the warmest month, January the coolest: a yearly swing of 45°F. Wettest month: July (~4.1 in). Whole year averages ~44.2 inches of rain.

Bars = average monthly rainfall (right axis). Lines = average daily high and low (left axis). Average = each month's value averaged across every year of record (1940–2026).

Rainy days by month

About 99 rainy days a year: most in July (~10), fewest in October (~7).

Bars = average number of days with ≥ 0.08 in per month. Hover for the monthly rainfall total.

Monthly wind

Average daily peak wind at 10 m, by month.

Monthly solar energy

Average daily incoming solar energy in megajoules per square metre: the record's own proxy for how sunny the month is.

Washington Heights month by month: what to expect

Typical conditions for each month, averaged across the full record (since 1940). Daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset. Highest and Lowest are the most extreme values in the ERA5 dataset (modelled since 1940), so they can differ from official weather-station readings.

MonthAvg highAvg lowRainRainy daysDaylightHighestLowest
January36.8°24.9°3.3 in89.4 h67.5° (2007)−10.5° (1984)
February39.0°25.9°3.2 in710.4 h67.3° (2018)−11.3° (1979)
March47.1°33.8°4.1 in911.7 h76.2° (1989)0.3° (1967)
April58.5°44.4°3.8 in913.1 h88.4° (2009)19.3° (1982)
May68.8°54.6°3.9 in1014.3 h90.8° (2013)36.1° (2020)
June77.9°64.1°3.5 in914.9 h97.5° (2025)46.7° (1972)
July82.8°69.8°4.1 in1014.7 h102.1° (2010)54.0° (1988)
August80.7°68.3°4.0 in913.6 h96.8° (2001)49.2° (1982)
September73.9°61.4°3.5 in712.3 h95.1° (1970)40.4° (1963)
October63.3°50.4°3.4 in710.9 h90.1° (2019)29.4° (1976)
November52.3°40.5°3.6 in89.7 h76.9° (2024)15.6° (1989)
December41.4°30.6°3.9 in89.1 h67.7° (2006)−4.4° (1963)

How it's changed

Year-by-year signals from 1940 to today.

Climate stripes

Annual mean shifted from 1940–1949 to 2016–2025 by +3.0°F.

Each vertical stripe is one year. Color encodes how much that year's annual mean differed from the long-term average. Average = each year's annual mean compared to the average of all years (1940–2026). cooler ← → warmer

Annual mean temperature

Long-term trend: +0.36°F per decade.

One point per year, showing the temperature averaged across the whole year. The dashed line is the least-squares long-term trend. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Seasonal warming

Dec–Feb is warming fastest: +0.52°F per decade.

Each faint line is one three-month period's average per year; the bold dashed line is its long-term trend. Different parts of the year often warm at different rates. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Hot days vs frost days

Days ≥ 86°F per year: 13.1 early in the record → 24.6 recently. Frost days: 86 → 61.

Thin lines are raw yearly counts; thick lines are the smoothed trend that removes year-to-year noise. The hot-day threshold is auto-picked per city so the line actually moves. Average = a centered 5-year rolling average to smooth weather noise.

Yearly hot & cold extremes

Hottest day since 1940 in 2010, coldest in 1979: 102.1°F / −11.3°F.

One point per year: the single hottest and coldest day recorded that year.

Annual rainfall

~44.2 in/year on average. Last decade: +5% vs that average. Long-term trend: +0.46 in per decade.

One bar per year of total rainfall. Dashed line is the long-term average. Average = the average annual rainfall across every year of record (1940–2026).

Day-by-day grid

Each tiny square is one calendar day across the full record, about 30,000 days per city. Use the mode switch above the chart: Anomaly colors each day by how far it ran from the historical average for that date (red = warmer, blue = cooler), Daily mean temp shows the absolute mean temperature for the day (useful to see seasons and heatwaves), and Precipitation shows daily rainfall (useful to spot wet/dry seasons and droughts). Average = the long-term average for that calendar date (1940–2026).

Frequently asked questions about Washington Heights

Which is the warmest month in Washington Heights?
On long-term average, the warmest month in Washington Heights is July (mean daily temperature of about 75.7°F) and the coolest is January (about 30.2°F).
How does today's temperature in Washington Heights compare to the historical average?
On October 26, 2026, Washington Heights is forecast to reach a high of 70.5°F and a low of 39.9°F. The long-term average for this date (the full record since 1940) is a high of 58.7°F and a low of 47.2°F, so today's high is 11.8°F warmer than that average.
How much has Washington Heights warmed since 1940?
Comparing the first decade of the record (1940–1949) with the most recent (2016–2025), the annual mean temperature in Washington Heights is about 3.0°F warmer.
How much does it rain in Washington Heights?
Washington Heights receives about 44.2 inches of precipitation per year on long-term average, with July typically the wettest month.
What is the average temperature in Washington Heights?
Over the full record (since 1940), the annual mean temperature in Washington Heights is about 53.2°F. The warmest month is July and the coolest is January.
What are the average temperatures in Washington Heights by month?
Average daily highs and lows for each month in Washington Heights (°F, full record since 1940): January 37°/25°, February 39°/26°, March 47°/34°, April 58°/44°, May 69°/55°, June 78°/64°, July 83°/70°, August 81°/68°, September 74°/61°, October 63°/50°, November 52°/41°, December 41°/31°.
What is the weather like in Washington Heights in summer?
In summer, June through August, Washington Heights is warm. Daytime highs sit at 78–83°F and nights at 64–70°F; July is the warmest month. Rain falls on about 9 days a month, adding up to around 3.9 inches.
What is the weather like in Washington Heights in winter?
December to February is winter in Washington Heights, and it is cold. Afternoons run 37–41°F and nights 25–31°F; January is the coldest month. Rain and snow fall on about 8 days a month, adding up to around 3.5 inches.
What is the weather like in Washington Heights in spring?
March to May is spring in Washington Heights, and it is cool. March starts at 47°F by day and 34°F at night; by May it is 69°F and 55°F. Rain falls on about 9 days a month, adding up to around 3.9 inches.
What is the weather like in Washington Heights in autumn?
September to November is autumn in Washington Heights, and it is fairly mild. It cools from 74°F by day and 61°F at night in September to 52°F and 41°F in November. Rain is steady at around 3.5 inches a month, spread over roughly 7 days.
How many days a year does it rain in Washington Heights?
On long-term average, Washington Heights has about 99 days a year with at least 0.08 inches of rain or snow. The annual total is roughly 44.2 inches.

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