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

Best time to visit Seattle for good weather

When is the best weather in Seattle? Monthly breakdown of temperature, rainfall, and sunshine hours — ranked by what actually matters for your trip.

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 — Good 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 good weather

August

Best match

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

#2 for good weather

May

Best match

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

#3 for good 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 good weather

September

Best match

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

#5 for good weather

April

Strong option

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

#6 for good weather

October

Strong option

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

#7 for good weather

March

Strong option

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

#8 for good weather

February

Strong option

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

#9 for good weather

November

Worth considering

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

#10 for good weather

January

Worth considering

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

#11 for good weather

December

Worth considering

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

#12 for good weather

Other priorities for Seattle

Good weather in other destinations

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