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Seattle’s Convention & Visitors Bureau
701 Pike Street
Suite 800
Seattle, Washington 98101
(206) 461-5800
www.visitseattle.org
When to Go to Seattle
The Pacific Northwest climate is most enjoyable from May through October. July through September is mostly rain-free, with pleasantly warm days reaching into the mid-70s and 80s. Although the weather can be dodgy, spring and fall are also excellent times to visit, as accommodation, transport, and tour costs are usually much lower (and the crowds much thinner). Although most people associate all things Washington with the evergreen, Seattle has a lot of deciduous trees and therefore, great fall colors; in spring, trees are full of blossoms, especially A1in the northern residential neighborhoods. If you want snow, head for the nearby mountains, as temperatures rarely dip below the low 40s here, even in winter. When it does snow in Seattle (usually in December or January), everything grinds to a halt.
Climate
Seattle's climate is surprisingly benign for a city that's farther north then Québec City. The coastal regions are uniformly mild, and inland regions are protected against the ocean's blustery winter winds by the Olympic mountain range. The Cascades stand guard on Seattle's opposite side, keeping the bitter temperatures of eastern Washington from reaching the coast.
Seattle has an average of only 36 inches of rainfall a year -- less than New York, Chicago, or Miami. The wetness, however, is concentrated in winter, when cloudy skies and drizzly weather persist. More than 75% of Seattle's annual precipitation occurs from October through March. That said, thanks to global climate change, Seattle's weather has gotten less predictable; 2006's summer started slow but was characterized by a heat wave that kept temperatures in the high 90's for days. Winter, which is usually just a grey, mild, drizzly affair, included not only Noah-and-the-ark deluges that knocked out power in some areas for days, but also hail, snow, and bright, sunny days with temperatures in the low 30's. Bring layers.
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