Seattle · Month comparison

March vs July

July ranks #1 overall vs March at #8. The best month — 18mm rain, 25°C, 10 hours of sun, and the Bite of Seattle in full swing.

Seattle March — cherry blossoms in bloom at the University of Washington campus in spring

March

#8 of 12 months

Strong option

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

  • ↑University of Washington Quad cherry blossoms (mid-March–early April): 30 Yoshino cherry trees in peak bloom
  • ↑Seattle Restaurant Week extends into March; good-value dining at Capitol Hill and Belltown spots
Seattle July — Seattle skyline with Space Needle on a bright clear summer day from Kerry Park

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
FactorMarchJuly
Weather score
5
10
Value score
7
4
Crowd score
7
4
Events score
5
8
Atmosphere
7
9
Avg high temp12°C25°C
Monthly rain69mm18mm
Daily sunshine7.5hrs10hrs

March trade-offs

  • ↓95mm rain — same volume as February; spring is slow to arrive in the Pacific Northwest
  • ↓Cherry blossom timing is weather-dependent; early seasons can peak and fall within a 5-day window
  • ↓Tourism still low season — some outdoor venues not yet at full operation

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
See all 12 months for Seattle →March in detail →July in detail →
Scores compare months within Seattle. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →