Washington (DC) Sunshine Hours by Month
In climate discussions, the hours of sunlight reveal much about a location. This page shows the total number of hours of direct sunlight per month and the average hours per day in Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America. These values are calculated using 30 years of data (1990–2020) to ensure accuracy.
Monthly hours of sunshine
Seasonal sunshine in Washington varies. It peaks at 282 hours in June and drops to 130 hours in December. The total annual amount of sun is 2520 hours.
Daily hours of sunshine
Seasonal changes in sunshine hours are quite obvious in Washington. While June receives considerable daily sunshine with up to 9.4 hours, December marks the darkest time of the year, where sunshine is scarce with only 4.3 hours of sunlight per day.
Average percent of sunshine
On average the sun shines 64% of the time during the day in June, the highest percentage of any month. December has the lowest percentage at 45%.
Washington vs Major Cities: Sunshine Compared
Washington enjoys an average of 2520 hours of sunshine annually. Let’s compare this with some popular tourist destinations:
In Barcelona, Spain, there are 2530 hours of sunshine annually and is a city that can be visited year-round.
In contrast, Reykjavík, Iceland, receives only about 1330 hours of sunshine per year, known for its frequently overcast and rainy skies.
Meanwhile, Buenos Aires, Argentina, enjoys a humid subtropical climate with 2520 hours of sunshine annually.
Perth, Australia, enjoys 3180 hours of sunshine annually, the highest among major Australian cities.
Related Climate Data for Washington
June, Washington’s wettest month, receives 91 mm (3.6 in) of rainfall and has a maximum daytime temperature of 29°C (84°F). During the driest month February you can expect a temperature of 7°C (45°F).
For more detailed insights into the city’s temperatures, check out our Temperature page. To explore more about precipitation patterns, visit our Washington Precipitation page.
