Best Time to Visit Seattle, Washington

July to September: the sweet spot

If you want dry, sunny days, come between July and September. July and August are the driest months, with just a handful of rainy days each. Afternoons are warm but not sticky, and evenings are cool enough for a jacket on the ferry.

This is also high season, and you'll feel it. Hotels fill up, and cruise ships bring crowds to Pike Place Market and the waterfront. Seafair, the big summer festival with the Blue Angels air show over Lake Washington, lands in early August. Bumbershoot, the music and arts festival, has traditionally been held around Labor Day weekend. September keeps most of the sunshine, and the crowds thin once school starts.

May and June: green and calmer

Late spring is a good pick if you want decent weather without peak prices. May is mostly dry, with about 13 rainy days. June is better, though locals joke about "June gloom," when grey mornings hang around before the sun comes out. Mount Rainier's wildflower meadows at Paradise usually don't clear of snow until July, so save big hikes for later. Walks around Green Lake, the Arboretum and Discovery Park are lovely now.

Late May brings the Seattle International Film Festival, which is a good excuse for a rainy evening indoors. Travelling with kids? Late spring means shorter lines at the Space Needle and the Pacific Science Center.

October to April: grey, wet and cosy

Be honest with yourself here. From November to March, rain falls on roughly 17 to 20 days a month, and you'll see only two or three hours of sun a day. Mountain views vanish behind cloud. Skip the ferry to Bainbridge Island if you're after scenery.

But it's the cheapest time to visit, and the city suits it. Duck into coffee shops on Capitol Hill, browse the Seattle Art Museum, or catch a show in Belltown. Hotel rates drop, and you'll often get tables at popular restaurants without a wait. Sports fans can catch a Kraken game in winter.

October is the best of the wet months. It's cooler, with fewer rainy days than November, and the autumn colour in the parks is nice. April is still wet, but cherry blossoms on the University of Washington quad draw crowds in late March or early April. Pack a proper waterproof jacket, since most locals skip umbrellas.