What is the best month to visit Seattle?

July or August if you want the weather, September if you want value. July and August are Seattle's dry season - genuinely sunny, around 24-25°C, with daylight until nearly 10pm and Mount Rainier visible most days - and they are also the busiest and priciest. September holds most of that weather while crowds disperse after Labor Day and hotel rates fall, which makes it the best-value month of the year and the one locals tend to recommend.

Does it really rain all the time in Seattle?

Less than the reputation suggests, and differently. Seattle gets fewer inches of annual rain than New York or Miami; what it has is far more rainy days, and the rain is persistent light drizzle rather than heavy downpours. That is why locals genuinely do not carry umbrellas - a hooded jacket handles it. The wet season runs roughly October to May, with November the worst. July through September is reliably dry, which surprises most first-time visitors.

When is the cheapest time to visit Seattle?

November through February, excluding the Christmas fortnight. Hotel rates drop sharply, there are no queues at Pike Place or the Space Needle, and the city's indoor culture - coffee houses, music venues, the Chihuly glass museum, the art museums - is what it is built for anyway. The trade-off is around 8-11°C, frequent drizzle and darkness by mid-afternoon. If you want cheap but still pleasant, late September and October give you far better weather at shoulder rates.

When can you see Mount Rainier from Seattle?

On clear days, which is mostly a summer proposition. The mountain sits about 90km away and is hidden by cloud for much of the wet season, so July through September gives you by far the best odds - locals say the mountain is out when it appears. If seeing it matters, build flexibility into your plans rather than booking a single viewpoint day, and note that late-summer wildfire haze can occasionally dull visibility even on rain-free days.

Is Seattle worth visiting in winter?

Yes, if you take it on its own terms. Winter is wet, grey and dark by mid-afternoon, but it is also the cheapest time and the city has more genuinely good indoor things to do than most - Pike Place Market, the Museum of Pop Culture, Chihuly Garden and Glass, the Seattle Art Museum, and the coffee and live-music scene that the weather arguably created. Ski areas at Snoqualmie and Crystal Mountain are within a couple of hours, which adds a reason to come.

How many days do you need in Seattle?

Three days covers the city: Pike Place Market and the waterfront, the Space Needle and Seattle Center museums, and a walk through Capitol Hill or Ballard with a ferry ride across Puget Sound. A fourth and fifth day open up what makes the region special - Mount Rainier National Park, the Olympic Peninsula rainforest, or the San Juan Islands, all of which are far better in the dry summer months than in the wet season.

Month by monthUnited States2026

The Best Time to Visit Seattle

Best: July-SeptemberCheapest: November-February

Photo: SounderBruce · CC BY-SA 4.0

Seattle has a stronger dry season than its reputation suggests. From July to early September it barely rains at all, days run to a comfortable 24°C and the sun sets close to 10pm. The rest of the year it does earn the reputation, though the rain is persistent drizzle rather than downpours, which is why locals genuinely do not carry umbrellas.

Alice - Trip planning and when to go

Published July 26, 2026

Updated 26 July 2026

In Brief

When is the best time to visit Seattle?

July and August are the best time to visit Seattle - reliably dry and sunny at around 24°C, with daylight until nearly 10pm and Mount Rainier visible most days. September is the value pick, holding summer warmth as crowds and prices drop. November through February is cheapest, with the grey drizzle Seattle is known for. Late March to April brings cherry blossom at the University of Washington quad.

July and August are the dry season - Seattle gets very little rain then, contrary to its reputation.
September keeps much of the summer weather while hotel rates and crowds fall away.
Winter rain is persistent drizzle rather than heavy downpours, which is why locals skip umbrellas.
Mount Rainier is only visible on clear days; summer gives you by far the best odds.

Best time to go

July-September

Cheapest time

November-February

When to avoid

November-January for weather

Seattle climate at a glance

Avg daytime high (°C / °F) · rainfall · season

Peak seasonGreatShoulder / valueOff-peakmore drops = wetter

8°46°F
Jan
9°48°F
Feb
12°54°F
Mar
14°57°F
Apr
18°64°F
May
21°70°F
Jun
24°75°F
Jul
25°77°F
Aug
21°70°F
Sep
15°59°F
Oct
11°52°F
Nov
8°46°F
Dec

Find your month

Every month in Seattle is rated for weather, crowds and price. Drag the slider to find your sweet spot — the greener the month, the better value the trip.

Sweet spot — best value

Cheapest window: November-February

February: $ · Low crowds · 9°C, cool, wet

See February hotels

Flights to SeattleCompare fares for your month on Trip.com Hotels in SeattleBook earlier for peak-season dates Things to doTours & tickets in Seattle

Seattle month by month

Every month rated for weather, crowds and price, so you can match the trip to the month.

Peak seasonGreatShoulder / valueOff-peak

Month	Weather	Crowds	Price	What it's like
Jan	8°C, cold, wet	Low	$	Wettest, darkest stretch of the year and the cheapest. Good for Pike Place, museums and coffee culture.
Feb	9°C, cool, wet	Low	$	Still grey and damp but the days lengthen quickly. Low hotel rates and no queues anywhere.
Mar	12°C, cool, showers	Low	$$	Spring stirs and cherry blossom usually starts late in the month at the University of Washington quad.
Apr	14°C, mild, showers	Moderate	$$	Blossom peaks, tulip fields bloom an hour north in the Skagit Valley, and the rain begins to ease.
May	18°C, mild, drier	Moderate	$$	The dry season begins. Long pleasant days, green everywhere, and prices still below summer peak.
Jun	21°C, warm, mostly dry	High	$$$	Often starts grey - locals call it June gloom - then clears. Long days and the ferries and islands open up.
Jul	24°C, warm, dry	Peak	$$$	The driest and sunniest month, daylight to almost 10pm and Rainier out most days. Peak prices.
Aug	25°C, warm, dry	Peak	$$$	Warmest month and reliably dry. Occasional wildfire haze from the wider region can dull the views.
Sep	21°C, mild, dry	Moderate	$$	The value sweet spot - summer weather holds, crowds disperse after Labor Day and rates drop noticeably.
Oct	15°C, cool, wetter	Low	$$	Autumn colour in the parks and few visitors, though the rain returns properly through the month.
Nov	11°C, cold, wet	Low	$	The wettest month, dark by mid-afternoon. Cheap, and the indoor city - markets, music, coffee - carries it.
Dec	8°C, cold, wet	Moderate	$$	Wet and dark, but the holiday markets, lights and Pike Place at Christmas give the month real charm.

Time it right: Seattle's seasonal highlights

Cherry blossom at the UW Quad
Late March-early April
Around thirty Yoshino cherry trees bloom for roughly two weeks on the University of Washington campus - the city's spring set piece.
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
April
Commercial tulip fields an hour north of the city bloom through April, a Dutch-scale display most visitors do not expect in Washington.
Seafair
July-August
A summer-long festival of hydroplane races, an air show over Lake Washington and neighbourhood parades - peak Seattle summer.
Dry season and Rainier views
July-September
The reliably dry months, when Mount Rainier is visible most days and the ferry trips and island hopping are at their best.

Best time to visit Seattle: FAQ

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The Best Time to Visit Seattle

When is the best time to visit Seattle?

Seattle climate at a glance

Seattle month by month

Time it right: Seattle's seasonal highlights

Cherry blossom at the UW Quad

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

Seafair

Dry season and Rainier views

Best time to visit Seattle: FAQ

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When is the best time to visit Seattle?

Seattle climate at a glance

Seattle month by month

Time it right: Seattle's seasonal highlights

Cherry blossom at the UW Quad

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

Seafair

Dry season and Rainier views

Best time to visit Seattle: FAQ

What is the best month to visit Seattle?expand_more

Does it really rain all the time in Seattle?expand_more

When is the cheapest time to visit Seattle?expand_more

When can you see Mount Rainier from Seattle?expand_more

Is Seattle worth visiting in winter?expand_more

How many days do you need in Seattle?expand_more

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