Seattle · Month comparison
February vs July
July ranks #1 overall vs February at #9. The best month — 18mm rain, 25°C, 10 hours of sun, and the Bite of Seattle in full swing.
February
#9 of 12 months
Strong option
Still grey, but the rain eases and an extra hour of sun signals the long turn toward summer.
- ↑95mm vs January's 130mm — a meaningful improvement; dry spells between rain systems more frequent
- ↑Seattle Restaurant Week (late Feb/early Mar) offers fixed-price menus at high-end restaurants
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 | February | July |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 4 | 10 |
| Value score | 7 | 4 |
| Crowd score | 8 | 4 |
| Events score | 5 | 8 |
| Atmosphere | 6 | 9 |
| Avg high temp | 10°C | 25°C |
| Monthly rain | 95mm | 18mm |
| Daily sunshine | 5.2hrs | 10hrs |
February trade-offs
- ↓Still fundamentally a grey, rainy winter month — 3 sunshine hours is not a convincing argument for visiting
- ↓Capitol Hill bar scene is active but the outdoor culture Seattleites love is still months away
- ↓Ferry deck views of Puget Sound frequently lost to low cloud and drizzle
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 →