Seattle · Month comparison
October vs July
July ranks #1 overall vs October at #7. The best month — 18mm rain, 25°C, 10 hours of sun, and the Bite of Seattle in full swing.
October
#7 of 12 months
Strong option
The grey season returns — 90mm rain, but good shoulder prices and the city's indoor culture shines.
- ↑Seattle Seahawks season in full swing — catching a game at Lumen Field is a genuine experience
- ↑Museum season opens: SAM, MoPOP, and the new Olympic Sculpture Park all at their least crowded
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 | October | July |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 6 | 10 |
| Value score | 6 | 4 |
| Crowd score | 7 | 4 |
| Events score | 6 | 8 |
| Atmosphere | 7 | 9 |
| Avg high temp | 15°C | 25°C |
| Monthly rain | 90mm | 18mm |
| Daily sunshine | 6.4hrs | 10hrs |
October trade-offs
- ↓90mm rain and only 4 sunshine hours — October marks the definitive end of outdoor Seattle
- ↓Ferry and Puget Sound views frequently rain-obscured; Mt Rainier invisible for days at a stretch
- ↓The city's coffee-house-and-bookshop season begins — fine if you love that, limiting if you don't
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 →