Best Time to Visit Seattle

Photo by Thom Milkovic on Unsplash

Visit Seattle between June and September. In 2025 those four months recorded a combined 90.8mm (3.6in) of rain across just 15 rainy days — under 9% of the year's 1,036.1mm (40.8in) total, packed into four months. July was the standout: 3.7mm (0.1in) over a single rainy day, with highs of 25.9°C (78.6°F). If you can only travel once, go in July or August; if you want the same dry weather with fewer people, go in the second half of September.

The best months: June through September

July is the driest month by a wide margin. One rainy day. 3.7mm (0.1in) of rain in the entire month. Highs of 25.9°C (78.6°F) and lows of 14.7°C (58.5°F) mean you get warm afternoons and genuinely cool evenings — you will want a light jacket after sunset even in the peak of summer. This is not a city where the heat follows you into the night.

August is nearly identical during the day at 25.2°C (77.4°F) but has the warmest nights of the year: 15.8°C (60.4°F), a full degree above July's. It picks up 40.9mm (1.6in) across 6 days, which works out to roughly 7mm per rainy day — noticeable showers rather than washouts, and typically not enough to reorganize a day around.

June is the underrated pick. 22.4°C (72.3°F) highs, 12.8°C (55.0°F) lows, and only 10.3mm (0.4in) of rain over 3 days. That is drier than August. June also sits closest to the solstice, and at Seattle's latitude that means roughly 16 hours of daylight — light until nearly 9:30pm. You get more usable hours per day in June than in any other dry month, at temperatures most people find more comfortable than late July.

September holds 21.9°C (71.4°F) highs and 13.7°C (56.7°F) lows with 35.9mm (1.4in) over 5 days. Summer weather with the summer crowds thinning after Labor Day. The catch is the back end of the month — the jump from September's 5 rainy days to October's 16 is the sharpest weather transition on the calendar, and it doesn't wait politely for October 1st.

Months to avoid: November, December, and March

There is no heat problem in Seattle. The hottest month tops out at 25.9°C (78.6°F). The problem is entirely rain, and it is concentrated in a way that matters.

December is the wettest month of the year at 232.2mm (9.1in) over 19 days — more than 22% of the annual rainfall in one month. Divide it out and that is about 12mm per rainy day, which is genuinely heavy for this city. Combined with highs of only 9.8°C (49.6°F), lows of 5.9°C (42.6°F), and roughly 8.5 hours of daylight around the solstice, you get a month where you are wet, cold, and losing the light by mid-afternoon.

November is second worst: 161.9mm (6.4in) over 16 days at 11.7°C (53.1°F) and 7.6°C (45.7°F). Same structure as December, slightly less of it.

March is the trap. 143.0mm (5.6in) doesn't sound dramatic, but it falls across 20 days — the highest rainy-day count of the year. That's roughly 7mm per rainy day spread over two-thirds of the month. This is not weather that arrives, soaks you, and leaves. It is persistent low-grade drizzle under a flat grey sky, two days out of every three, at highs of 11.9°C (53.4°F). Outdoor plans in March are not cancelled so much as slowly eroded.

Note the difference between March and December: same broad category, different mechanics. March gives you many light-rain days; December gives you fewer but much heavier ones. March ruins scheduling; December ruins being outside.

Shoulder season: May and late September

May is the best value month. 18.1°C (64.6°F) highs, 9.7°C (49.5°F) lows, and 49.0mm (1.9in) over 10 days. Ten rainy days out of 31 means you should assume you will get rained on once or twice in a week-long trip — but at under 5mm per rainy day, that is the kind of rain you walk through, not the kind that ends your afternoon. Prices and crowds have not hit summer levels, and the city is fully green from the winter rain.

April is the sharper improvement on paper: rainfall drops from March's 143.0mm (5.6in) to 67.3mm (2.6in), and rainy days from 20 to 11. That is the single biggest month-over-month change in the year. Highs reach 14.9°C (58.8°F). April is not warm, but it is when the drizzle finally breaks.

Late September is the other shoulder window, and the better one if you want warmth. You still have 21.9°C (71.4°F) days but the summer pricing eases after the first week. The risk is that October's pattern — 104.3mm (4.1in) over 16 days — starts leaking backwards into the last week of September some years.

What each season actually means for your trip

Summer (June–August). You will be outside almost the entire time. Ferry to Bainbridge, the Olympic Peninsula, Mount Rainier day trips, waterfront walking, outdoor seating. Pack for a 10–11 degree Celsius (about 19°F) daily swing: with July highs at 25.9°C (78.6°F) and lows at 14.7°C (58.5°F), the shorts you wore at 3pm are wrong at 9pm. Bring one layer you can carry all day. Air conditioning is not universal in older Seattle buildings — check your accommodation if you're sensitive to 25°C (77°F) indoors.

Autumn (October–November). October's 104.3mm (4.1in) over 16 days and November's 161.9mm (6.4in) over 16 days mean roughly every other day is wet. This is indoor-anchored travel: museums, Pike Place under cover, coffee, restaurants, with outdoor plans slotted in opportunistically. Waterproof shoes matter more than a heavy coat — highs stay at 14.6°C (58.3°F) in October and 11.7°C (53.1°F) in November, which is jacket weather, not winter-coat weather.

Winter (December–February). Cold and dark but not freezing: the coldest month, January, still averages lows of 1.8°C (35.2°F). Snow is not the story here — water is. December's 232.2mm (9.1in) is the defining number. A packable rain shell beats an umbrella, because rain here often comes sideways off the water.

Spring (March–May). A steep improvement curve. March is 20 rainy days, April is 11, May is 10. Temperature climbs 6.2°C (11.2°F) from March's high to May's high. If you're deciding within spring, wait as late as you can.

Month-by-month

• January — 6.8°C/1.8°C (44.2°F/35.2°F), 56.4mm (2.2in) over 9 days. Cold, but measured as the driest of the winter months in 2025 — notably drier than February or March.
• February — 7.6°C/2.4°C (45.7°F/36.3°F), 131.2mm (5.2in) over 15 days. Half the month is wet and it's still cold. No reason to pick it.
• March — 11.9°C/5.8°C (53.4°F/42.4°F), 143.0mm (5.6in) over 20 days. The most rainy days of any month. Avoid.
• April — 14.9°C/7.3°C (58.8°F/45.1°F), 67.3mm (2.6in) over 11 days. The turning point; rainy days nearly halve from March.
• May — 18.1°C/9.7°C (64.6°F/49.5°F), 49.0mm (1.9in) over 10 days. Best combination of price, crowds, and workable weather.
• June — 22.4°C/12.8°C (72.3°F/55.0°F), 10.3mm (0.4in) over 3 days. Nearly dry, comfortable, and the longest days of the year.
• July — 25.9°C/14.7°C (78.6°F/58.5°F), 3.7mm (0.1in) over 1 day. The driest and warmest month. Peak everything.
• August — 25.2°C/15.8°C (77.4°F/60.4°F), 40.9mm (1.6in) over 6 days. Warmest nights of the year; slightly wetter than July.
• September — 21.9°C/13.7°C (71.4°F/56.7°F), 35.9mm (1.4in) over 5 days. Summer conditions, fewer people after the first week.
• October — 14.6°C/9.0°C (58.3°F/48.2°F), 104.3mm (4.1in) over 16 days. Rainy days triple from September. The season flips here.
• November — 11.7°C/7.6°C (53.1°F/45.7°F), 161.9mm (6.4in) over 16 days. Dark, cold, wet.
• December — 9.8°C/5.9°C (49.6°F/42.6°F), 232.2mm (9.1in) over 19 days. Wettest month of the year by 70mm (2.8in).

FAQ

Does it really rain all the time in Seattle?

No — but the reputation isn't wrong either, it's just mistimed. Seattle recorded 131 rainy days in 2025, so rain falls on roughly 36% of days across the year. The distribution is what people miss: June through September account for only 15 of those 131 days. If you visit in summer you'll likely see no rain at all; if you visit in March you'll see it on 20 days out of 31.

Is Seattle too hot in summer?

No. The warmest month, July, averages highs of 25.9°C (78.6°F), and nights drop to 14.7°C (58.5°F). That is comfortable walking weather by any standard. The genuine risk isn't heat, it's underpacking for the evening — a 11.2°C (20°F) drop between afternoon and night catches people out.

When is the cheapest time to visit Seattle with decent weather?

May. Highs of 18.1°C (64.6°F) and only 49.0mm (1.9in) of rain over 10 days, before summer pricing takes hold. April is cheaper again with 67.3mm (2.6in) over 11 days, but at 14.9°C (58.8°F) it's noticeably cooler and you're more likely to spend the afternoon indoors. If you want warm days at off-peak prices, the second half of September at 21.9°C (71.4°F) is the other answer.

What should I actually pack?

Summer: layers for a roughly 11°C (20°F) daily swing, plus a light jacket for evenings around 15°C (59°F). October through March: waterproof shoes and a rain shell are more useful than a thick coat — the temperatures stay mild (January lows of 1.8°C / 35.2°F are the coldest of the year) but December alone drops 232.2mm (9.1in) of water. Umbrellas underperform in Seattle wind; a hood works better.

Climate figures above are measured 2025 data for Seattle. Single-year measurements can differ from long-term averages — January 2025 in particular was drier than a typical Seattle January. Check a forecast close to your travel dates.