Seattle July — Seattle skyline with Space Needle on a bright clear summer day from Kerry Park

Best time to visit Seattle for beach weather

When is beach season in Seattle? Warmest sea temperatures, best sunshine, and most reliable conditions for swimming and water activities.

Best month

July

The best month — 18mm rain, 25°C, 10 hours of sun, and the Bite of Seattle in full swing.

Only 18mm rain: the driest month in the Pacific Northwest by far — nearly guaranteed blue-sky days

Bite of Seattle food festival (mid-July): 60+ restaurants serving the city's full culinary range in Seattle Center

Mt Rainier day trips at peak accessibility — Paradise visitor area open, wildflowers at 1,600m in bloom

All months ranked — Beach weather

July

Best match

The best month — 18mm rain, 25°C, 10 hours of sun, and the Bite of Seattle in full swing.

#1 for beach weather

August

Best match

Near-identical to July — Seafair brings hydroplane racing, and the summer refuses to end.

#2 for beach weather

May

Best match

Seattle at its spring best — SIFF launches, 18°C, and the city's outdoor life fully restored.

#3 for beach weather

June

Best match

Seattle starts to shine — SIFF wraps, Pride month, kayaking on Lake Union, and the sky stays light until 21:30.

#4 for beach weather

September

Best match

The best-value month — summer weather lingers, crowds ease, and the city exhales.

#5 for beach weather

April

Strong option

The city unlocks — 75mm rain is manageable, 6 sunshine hours bring Seattleites outside.

#6 for beach weather

October

Strong option

The grey season returns — 90mm rain, but good shoulder prices and the city's indoor culture shines.

#7 for beach weather

March

Strong option

Spring teasing begins — cherry blossoms at the UW campus, still 95mm of rain to contend with.

#8 for beach weather

February

Worth considering

Still grey, but the rain eases and an extra hour of sun signals the long turn toward summer.

#9 for beach weather

November

Worth considering

Seattle at its rainiest — 150mm, 2.5 sunshine hours, and the grey months properly begin.

#10 for beach weather

January

Worth considering

Grey and wet — 130mm of rain, but Pike Place Market is uncrowded and hotels are cheap.

#11 for beach weather

December

Worth considering

Christmas market at Seattle Center — the Space Needle in holiday lights is worth seeing once.

#12 for beach weather

Other priorities for Seattle

Beach weather in other destinations

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Scores are directional — designed to compare months within Seattle, not to make precise claims. Full methodology →