January in Seattle — the hardest end of the year
Hardest · 2.6/10Expect 4°C (40°F) in January. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
187 mm of rain signals a properly wet month, with only almost no days with 6+ hours of sunshine to count on — build indoor options into the schedule.
That is 2.6/10 on the same scale — 11th of 12 months, versus 9.6/10 for the best month here.
Expect low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
If your dates are flexible, July is materially better in Seattle — 7 points higher on the same scale.
February in Seattle: expect compromises
Hardest · 3.8/10Expect 5°C (40°F) in February. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
112 mm of rain signals a properly wet month, with only almost no days with 6+ hours of sunshine to count on — build indoor options into the schedule.
That is 3.8/10 on the same scale — 9th of 12 months, versus 9.6/10 for the best month here.
Budget for low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
If your dates are flexible, July is materially better in Seattle — 5.8 points higher on the same scale.
March in Seattle — workable with trade-offs
Trade-offs · 5/10March averages 7°C (44°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
At 100 mm this is a genuinely wet month: about 6 days with 6+ hours of sunshine in total, and outdoor plans need an indoor fallback.
It scores 5/10 here, 8th of 12 months, against 9.6/10 in the destination's best month.
Figure on mid-season pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
Flexible dates? July scores 4.6 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
April in Seattle — workable with trade-offs
Trade-offs · 5.9/10Expect 8°C (46°F) in April. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
109 mm of rain signals a properly wet month, with only about 14 days with 6+ hours of sunshine to count on — build indoor options into the schedule.
That is 5.9/10 on the same scale — 6th of 12 months, versus 9.6/10 for the best month here.
Budget for mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
If your dates are flexible, July is materially better in Seattle — 3.7 points higher on the same scale.
May in Seattle: strong conditions, 5th of 12
Good · 7.8/10May averages 13°C (55°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
Rainfall runs 82 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 23 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 14.9 hours of daylight.
It scores 7.8/10 here, 5th of 12 months, against 9.6/10 in the destination's best month.
Plan for mid-season pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a packable rain layer.
Flexible dates? July scores 1.8 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
June in Seattle: strong conditions, 3rd of 12
Good · 8.4/10Temperatures hover around 15°C (59°F) — the kind of month where neither heat nor cold forces the schedule.
Budget for roughly 75 mm of rain this month — a flexible day or two helps — with about 27 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 15.8 hours of daylight to work around it.
That is 8.4/10 on the same scale — 3rd of 12 months, versus 9.6/10 for the best month here.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a packable rain layer.
July in Seattle tops the year's climate scores
Best window · 9.6/10At 19°C (67°F) this is comfortable city weather in July, with sightseeing easiest before lunch and after the afternoon peak.
At just 14 mm for the month, rain will not shape your plans; you get about 31 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 15.4 hours of daylight.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Seattle at 9.6/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Budget for peak pricing, and this is one of the busiest months here. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack light clothing, a hat and real sun protection.
August ranks 2nd of 12 for Seattle — one of the best windows
Best window · 9.6/10August averages 19°C (66°F) — pleasant for mornings and evenings on foot in the city, with a midday break when the sun is strongest.
Expect 29 mm of rain — occasional showers rather than washed-out days — alongside about 24 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 14.1 daylight hours.
A 9.6/10 puts this among the year's best months in Seattle (2nd of 12); only July scores higher, at 9.6/10.
Figure on peak pricing, with this is one of the busiest months here. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack light clothing, a hat and real sun protection.
September in Seattle: strong conditions, 4th of 12
Good · 8.4/10September averages 16°C (60°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
Rainfall runs 47 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 13 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 12.3 hours of daylight.
It scores 8.4/10 here, 4th of 12 months, against 9.6/10 in the destination's best month.
Figure on mid-season pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a packable rain layer.
October in Seattle: mixed conditions, plan around the weather
Trade-offs · 5.5/10Expect 11°C (52°F) in October. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
Budget for roughly 97 mm of rain this month — a flexible day or two helps — with about 2 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 10.6 hours of daylight to work around it.
That is 5.5/10 on the same scale — 7th of 12 months, versus 9.6/10 for the best month here.
Budget for mid-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a packable rain layer.
If your dates are flexible, July is materially better in Seattle — 4.1 points higher on the same scale.
November in Seattle: expect compromises
Hardest · 3/10Expect 6°C (42°F) in November. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
175 mm of rain signals a properly wet month, with only almost no days with 6+ hours of sunshine to count on — build indoor options into the schedule.
That is 3/10 on the same scale — 10th of 12 months, versus 9.6/10 for the best month here.
Budget for low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
If your dates are flexible, July is materially better in Seattle — 6.6 points higher on the same scale.
December in Seattle: expect compromises
Hardest · 2.3/10December averages 5°C (41°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
222 mm of rain puts this in monsoon territory — almost no days with 6+ hours of sunshine across the whole month, and multi-day washouts are normal.
It scores 2.3/10 here, 12th of 12 months, against 9.6/10 in the destination's best month.
Plan for low-season pricing, with crowds are light for this destination.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
Flexible dates? July scores 7.3 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
