Seattle · Month comparison
April vs July
July ranks #1 overall vs April at #6. The best month — 18mm rain, 25°C, 10 hours of sun, and the Bite of Seattle in full swing.
April
#6 of 12 months
Strong option
The city unlocks — 75mm rain is manageable, 6 sunshine hours bring Seattleites outside.
- ↑Gasworks Park and Discovery Park accessible in real comfort for the first time since autumn
- ↑Puget Sound ferry crossings to Bainbridge Island: 35 minutes of waterway views improving dramatically
July
#1 of 12 months
Best match
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
| Factor | April | July |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 7 | 10 |
| Value score | 6 | 4 |
| Crowd score | 6 | 4 |
| Events score | 6 | 8 |
| Atmosphere | 7 | 9 |
| Avg high temp | 15°C | 25°C |
| Monthly rain | 75mm | 18mm |
| Daily sunshine | 9hrs | 10hrs |
April trade-offs
- ↓75mm rain still a factor — April showers are real, and blue-sky days can flip to wet afternoons quickly
- ↓Prices rising from winter lows as spring tourism begins
- ↓Mt Rainier viewpoint trails can still be closed with snow at elevation
July trade-offs
- ↓Hotel prices at annual peak — downtown Seattle is expensive in July with no apology
- ↓Pike Place Market becomes a genuine struggle on summer weekends; arrive before 9am or after 4pm
- ↓Occasional smoke from Cascade wildfires can affect air quality and Mt Rainier visibility in late July
Scores compare months within Seattle. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →