Seattle Weather and Climate

Seattle and the Pacific Northwest generally have a wet climate, normal average yearly precipitation for our area of the world is around 37 inches.

On average, it rains in Seattle at least 50% of the time, with the heaviest rain periods between January and May and between October and December. June, July and August are our driest and warmest months.

Temperatures in the summer usually hover around a pleasant 75, though we also have been known to suffer through weeklong heat spells in the high 80s or low 90s.

Most travelers choose to visit Seattle in the summer and fall, when the weather is pleasant and rainfall less frequent - the city receives 65% of its precipitation from November to March. September and Oc­tober are often glorious months, as the Indian summer brings warm days and cool nights. The weather deteriorates after October and can be downright miserable in the dark, drizzly days of December, January and February. Come spring, the rain still drops, but skies lighten and temperatures slowly rise.

If your itinerary brings you to Seattle in winter, all is not lost. Hotel prices drop dra­matically and many cultural events, includ­ing the symphony, opera and theater, are most active during winter months. Skiers can take advantage of great Northwestern skiing at nearby Snoqualmie Pass and Stevens Pass ski areas.

It's worth noting that Seattle can be very busy in summer and some of the popular sights and ferry trips can get oppressively overcrowded. Off-season travel has its ad­vantages, even if it does mean you'll have to carry an umbrella.

In the winter, Seattle may see a handful of snow days per year: the last major snow event in Seattle was in 1997, when we were snowed in for a week with several inches.

Seattle summer climate tends more toward the dry than the humid -- we get occasional summer thunderstorms, but not many, and tornados are rare.

The best way to prepare for visiting Seattle is to layer -- the climate, with our hilly terrain's infamous "convergence zones", is unpredictable enough (just ask our long-suffering local weather people) that you never know when a rain storm, a dry spell, or a sudden drop in temperature might occur.

You'll notice many Seattleites who don't even use umbrellas -- after awhile, you just get used to the drizzle.

Rain jokes aside, Seattle has a milder climate than many other parts of the world, with less extreme variations in temperature, and a higher number of cloudy days with misty and damp weather.