Surprising Seattle Showers: How Often Does It Rain In Seattle?

Seattle is a city in Washington state that is also commonly known as Rain City and Emerald City!

A common widespread rumor is that it rains every day and all the time in Seattle, which is quite an exaggeration. It doesn't rain every day in Seattle, but it sure gets quite wet during rainy months.

Seattle is a city in America that is known for Microsoft Windows, Boeing airplanes, Amazon, Seahawks, Starbucks, and lots of rain. Seattle has 155 rainy days every year on average with measurable amounts of rain.

On average, it receives an annual rainfall of 37 in (93.9 cm). November, December, January, and March are the rainiest months of Seattle.

The rainiest month of Seattle is November, during which Seattle receives 6.2 in (15.7 cm) of rain for approximately 18.7 days. Read on to learn more about the metropolitan city of Seattle!

If you enjoy this article, why not also read about fun facts about India and fun facts about Mexico here on Kidadl?

How many days a year does it rain in Seattle?

A rainy day is a day during which a location receives at least 0.01 in (0.02 cm) of melted ice, melted snow, or rain. Usually, 0.01 in (0.02 cm) is not the general amount of rain that falls.

Seattle endures about 155 rainy days on average each year which is significantly more than many cities of the United States of America. Months where humidity is at its peak, but still bearable, are July, August, and September.

July is the least humid of all summer months. Seattle expects heavy rains between the months of October and December as well as January and May.

This implies that catching sight of rain in Seattle is common but it does not rain every day and Seattle does receive sunshine. People can be seen enjoying outdoor activities in the months of April and May.

The majority of the days it rains are in the winter and autumn and not year-round. Seattle summers are dry and the city receives plenty of sunshine.

The least number of days when it rains are in the month of July and the month of June is believed to be the sunniest. There are on average 58 days filled with sunshine every year, most of which are during the summer season.

Average Rain In Seattle

Considered as the capital of the Pacific Northwest, Seattle receives about 37 in (93.9 cm) of rain on average every year. Annually, Seattle endures 155 rainy days which in comparison to other locations in the Washington state is average.

The city gets 155 days of precipitation of some kind on average every year, mainly during October and December as well as January and May. Precipitation is hail, sleet, snow, or rain.

Autumn is the driest for this city and there is only a 13% chance of rain with July or August being the driest month. It does not rain a lot in Seattle.

It has been calculated through data that Seattle receives rain only 9.4% of the time with the most number of days when it rains being in November, December, January, and March. The temperature is known to drop quite low during this time.

The number of rainy days Seattle receives increases gradually starting after August, with November being the month during which Seattle experiences the most amount of rainy days, 18.4 days on average.

Cities like Miami, New York, and Atlanta receive a lot more rainfall as when it rains, it literally pours heavily, whereas, in Seattle, rain is quite often very light.

Seattle is situated on the side of the Olympic mountain range sheltered from winds.

Seattle is also located in the Puget Sound Convergence Zone, where clouds are known to meet and interact. This is why Seattle is typically gloomy.

Why does it rain so much in Seattle?

Seattle experiences this type of weather as its location is quite close to the Pacific Ocean's coast. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of all oceans and brings along a lot of moisture, in the form of water vapor, over the Washington state and over the Olympic mountains causing cloudy weather.

Once the water vapors reach the mountain range, they become raindrops as they come in contact with cold air.

This process results in the Olympic Mountains having rain shadows over them, that act like a wall separating the city from the ocean. This indicates that if there weren't any mountains present, Seattle would have experienced many heavy rainfalls throughout the year.

Seattle only experiences 37 in (93.9 cm) of rain, whereas in Olympia, which is 40 mi (64.3 km) south, it rains for about 165 days and more than 50 in (127 cm)!

To compare, Chicago gets about 125 days of rainfall of about 38 in (96.5 cm), New York receives 50 in (127 cm) in 120 days, Atlanta experiences 50 in (127 cm) in 116 days, and Houston receives 54 in (137.1 cm) in 99 days.

The main reason behind the rainy reputation of Seattle is because it receives precipitation for a significant number of days.

It receives precipitation for more days compared to Miami and New York City. Seattle experiences rain frequently but as it is drizzle or light rain, it causes low totals.

Frequent rain is not a disadvantage for the city, however. It is actually quite beneficial and it is from the rain that falls over the city that most of the drinking water originates.

Most of the hydroelectricity is also produced through the rain that falls.

The Seattle area weather is also the favorite of rainbow lovers as rainbows appear quite often. Most of the precipitation Seattle experiences is in the form of light rain or drizzle.

What is the rainiest month in Seattle?

November is Seattle's wettest month where there are about 18.7 days experiencing rain of about 6.2 in (15.7 cm) whereas spring is the wettest season with 39% of precipitation annually. The annual rainfall is 37 in (93.9 cm) which is similar to other Washington locations.

The average rainfall U.S. gets collectively is 38 in (96.5 cm) per year. Seattle gets 1 in (2.5 cm) less than that.

However, even though the annual average is the same as that of the U.S., the humidity is comfortable and low. There are very few days when the humidity gets a bit high and uncomfortable during summer.

Months where humidity is the highest, but still bearable, are July, August, and September. It does not rain in the month of June.

The mean temperature of Seattle is over 40oF (4.4oC), which isn't a freezing temperature. Seattle does not experience freezing temperatures all the time as it is located near the Pacific Ocean which regulates the temperature of Seattle. In summers, the ocean cools down the temperature, whereas, in winters, it warms it.

Seattle's weather is what it is due to the moisture and clouds present all year, which are there due to the Pacific Ocean nearby. Temperatures of the ocean don't drop to freezing even in the months of January and February.

Thus, the temperature in Seattle is above freezing most of the time. The average amount of snow Seattle receives is 5 in (12.5 cm) every year.

To compare, the average amount of snow the U.S. receives is 28 in (71.1 cm). December is the coldest month for Seattle where temperatures are the coldest and the average is 35.9oF (2.1oC).

This temperature is the warmest in December throughout Washington. The month of December is the month when Seattle receives the most amount of snow.

There are only 24 days every year when the temperature at night drops below freezing. Annual snowfall of 5 in (12.5 cm) is the average compared to all other locations of Washington. Seattle does receive plenty of sunshine.

It has 152 sunny days per year on average. This is less than the 205 days average of the U.S. collectively.

Seattle's hottest month is August during which the temperature rises up to 76.3oF (24.6oC). This is still cooler than other locations of Washington.

There are only 1.7 days in Rain City when the temperature shoots up, crossing 90oF (32.2oC). This high temperature is still lower than high temperatures other places of Washington experience.

Did You Know...

Mobile, Alabama is a city in the U.S. that experiences the highest amount of average rainfall of 69 in (175.2 cm) per year. It is the rainiest city in the United States.

The city of Seattle is placed fourth by the United States census for its growth compared with the other 50 biggest cities of the United States.

The wettest place in the world is located in Mawsynram, in the state of Meghalaya, India. Only 9.3 mi (15 km) away from Mawsynram is Cherrapunji, which is another one of the wettest places in the world. Among other wettest cities are Tutunendo in Colombia and Cropp River in New Zealand.

Chief Seattle was a famous Native American leader also known as Chief Si'ahl. The name Seattle was derived from his name.

Emerald City is the new nickname for Seattle. Its former nickname was Queen City.

Seattle is famous for sunny skies with rainbows, rain, and many festivals. The most pleasant months to visit this city are between July and October. The month of April and the month of May also have the best sightseeing weather, so you can also visit in these months other than the recommended time of July to mid-October.

On average, New Orleans experiences 62 in (157.4 cm) of rain per year and it rains almost 167 days annually in Rochester, New York.

The city of Seattle is quite well-known for its Seattle Freeze, the friendliness of residents of Seattle which is polite but distant!

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for how often does it rain in Seattle then why not take a look at fun facts about Italy, or facts about Paris!