What to Wear for a Washington Night on the Mall, Month by Month
The short answer. Dress for the evening low, not the day's high. A July night on the Mall averages in the low 70s°F; a January one is close to freezing, with an average low of 30°F at Reagan National. Wear shoes you can climb steps in, carry a layer from October to April and a rain jacket in any month, because summer evenings are the wettest. From October to March the convertible buses run under glass, and the night trolley tours are heated in winter.
Evening temperatures, month by month
An evening out starts around 7:30pm and ends around 10:30pm, so the number that matters is the average low, which the night drifts towards, not the afternoon high. These are the 1991-2020 normals for Reagan National Airport from NOAA, the closest official station to the Mall.
| Month | Average low | Average high | Rain | What to wear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30°F | 45°F | 2.86 in | Winter coat, hat, gloves |
| February | 32°F | 48°F | 2.62 in | Winter coat, hat, gloves |
| March | 39°F | 56°F | 3.50 in | Warm coat and a layer |
| April | 48°F | 68°F | 3.21 in | Light jacket and a layer |
| May | 58°F | 76°F | 3.94 in | Light jacket |
| June | 68°F | 85°F | 4.20 in | Light clothes, rain jacket |
| July | 72°F | 90°F | 4.33 in | Light clothes, rain jacket |
| August | 71°F | 88°F | 3.25 in | Light clothes, rain jacket |
| September | 64°F | 81°F | 3.93 in | Light clothes and a layer |
| October | 52°F | 69°F | 3.66 in | Jacket and a layer |
| November | 42°F | 58°F | 2.91 in | Warm coat |
| December | 34°F | 49°F | 3.41 in | Winter coat, hat, gloves |
Read the low as where the evening is heading and the high as the afternoon behind it: in July the average low is 72°F, in January 30°F, and a three-hour evening moves from one towards the other. Month-by-month detail, with the dark times beside it, is on weather and dark times.
Shoes for steps and paths
Every evening is on foot at each stop, even on a coach. The steps up to the Lincoln Memorial are the climb most evenings include, and the World War II and Vietnam Veterans memorials are paths and plazas you walk along. Wear shoes with grip that you have walked in before, not new ones.
- On a coach or a van: comfortable walking shoes. You are off and on at every stop.
- On a bike: closed shoes. Sandals are not allowed on the shared night ride.
- On the ghost walk in Georgetown: shoes with grip. One traveller describes some hills and uneven ground.
- In winter: warm socks as well as a coat. The stops are short, but the stone is cold.
What the vehicle does for you
How much you wear depends on what you ride. USA Guided Tours' convertible buses switch to glass tops between October and March, so the minibus you booked open to the sky in summer is closed in winter. The trolley is heated in winter, and its plastic side windows roll down when it is warm. The coaches and vans are air-conditioned, which in July is its own reason to carry a layer for the ride between stops.
The open-air rides are the exception. The e-cart and the open-air minibus have open seats, so dress for them as you would for walking: in March or November that means a warm coat, a hat and gloves for two hours in the wind. On a bike you get the kit: the shared night ride includes a helmet, lights and a reflective vest, with equipment for children, and you bring the layers. All the ways to ride, open and closed, are compared on the night tour options page.
Rain: which evenings run, and which cancel
Summer is the wettest season here: July averages 4.33 inches of rain and June 4.20, against under 3 in January and February. What happens next depends on the operator. The van from the Grand Hyatt runs rain or shine, and the moonlight van runs in all weather. The private car hands out umbrellas or ponchos. Many other evenings need good weather, and if they cancel for it you are offered a new date or a full refund.
So pack a light rain jacket from May to September, even if the afternoon is dry, and check the forecast at lunchtime rather than the night before. An umbrella is harder to manage at a crowded memorial than a hood.
Bags and what to carry
Travel light. USA Guided Tours allows small carry-on bags only and may search them before you board, and there is no luggage storage on the coach. It also notes that most attractions in DC have metal detectors at their entrances, so a small bag moves faster everywhere.
- A layer and a rain jacket, whatever the month.
- A charged phone: the booking, the guide's text on the day and your ride home are on it.
- Water: several evenings include a bottle, but not all.
- Cash or a card for the tip: gratuities are excluded on nearly every evening, and one van suggests 15 to 20 percent.
- Snacks, not a meal: food is not allowed on some buses, though snacks are fine.
Children on an evening out
Children feel a cold evening sooner than you do, and a three-hour evening ends past most bedtimes, so pack one more layer for them than for yourself and a blanket for the ride back. The vehicle matters here too. The van from the Grand Hyatt takes strollers and lists infant seats; on the 7:30pm coach infants ride on a lap. The e-cart needs a seat for every child, and the shared bike ride has equipment for children of all sizes.
The short list by season
In winter: a proper coat, a hat, gloves, warm shoes, and a heated or glass-topped vehicle if you can choose one. In spring and autumn: a jacket and a layer, and an eye on the glass-top switch in October and March. In summer: light clothes, a rain jacket and water. Whatever the season, the memorials are open; our post on when it gets dark shows which months give you the most of them lit, and the memorials page which ones to linger at.
Evenings with the right shelter for the season
Washington DC Monuments by Moonlight Tour by Trolley
Two and a half hours on a trolley that is heated in winter, with roll-down side windows and lifts on some trolleys. It starts from either of two downtown points; check in 30 minutes early.
From $59 per person
Check Availability
DC Monuments by Night: Open-Top Bus Tour of Illuminated Landmarks
Three hours in a convertible minibus of up to 15 from Navy Memorial Plaza, with nine stops of about 15 minutes. From October to March the top is glass.
From $109 per person
Check Availability
Washington DC Sites at Night Guided Bicycle Tour
Three hours and about 4 to 5 miles by bike from D Street, behind the Navy Memorial, with short stops on foot. Helmet, lights and a reflective vest are included, with kit for children.
From $65 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: Check the evening low for your month, then choose a ride that is closed, heated or open to suit it. Every fare sits side by side on Washington Night Tours.