Seattle Weather Forecast

Here you will find the Seattle weather forecast. This includes the current weather in Seattle as well as the 7-day forecast. Checking the forecast before you come will help you plan ahead.

Seattle's weather can usually be described as temperate, with mild, damp winters, and mild, dry summers. In the winter it's usually somewhere in the 40's with occasional drops below freezing overnight. Snow comes maybe once or twice a year, and some years it doesn't snow at all. But that's okay because if we want to play in the snow, the mountains and ski resorts are not far away. The closest is 45 minutes away, and two others are about 90 minutes away.

Seattle Weather Forecast for the Next 7 Days

Seattle weather is milder than much of the rest of the country. We are protected from extreme temperature variations by the Puget Sound, Pacific Ocean, Lake Washington, and the Olympic Mountains to the west and the Cascade Mountains to the east. These two mountain ranges usually cause all the extreme weather fronts coming from the northwest to flow around Seattle. They also shelter the city from most thunderstorms. We might hear thunder on three or four days per year, if that!

In the summers, it's usually in the 70's and 80's. Because we are so far north, the days are long in the summer. Just a couple of minutes short of 16 hours of daylight in June as compared to 14 and a half hours in Los Angeles!

A few things to keep in mind if you aren't from Seattle

• Events are rarely, if ever, canceled because of rain.
• The best way to prepare for your visit is to think "layers". That way you'll be prepared for that cool breeze on the water, or a sudden rain shower or dry spell. And be sure to check the Seattle weather forecast just before you come.
• It's okay to bring an umbrella - even though many locals won't be using one. We just get used to the drizzle.
• Most locals do not have air conditioning in their homes, but most public places such as restaurants and stores do. It's not humid though, so it's cool at night and in the shade. We just leave the windows open all the time.
• Like Rome, Seattle was built on seven hills. The Denny regrade did away with one of those hills, but Seattle is still very hilly with some hills that would put San Francisco to shame! So when it does snow, driving gets scary. The roads don't get cleared promptly (some not at all), and Seattle drivers are not accustomed to driving in the snow. It doesn't take much snow to shut down schools and businesses! The good news is that it doesn't stick around for very long.

No matter what the weather, Seattle is beautiful all the time. It's green year-round because of all the evergreens, flowers bloom in the winter, and it smells like Christmas trees. And sometimes coffee.

Enjoy your stay!