Seattle’s sunshine-filled long days and packed events schedules draw people to the city in the summer, but there is a good reason to visit the city every month of the year, depending on what you hope to do and see.
Seattle’s summer weather is the visitor’s dream: nearly every day in July and August is warm but rarely too hot, usually dry and clear. The long days stretch into the evening, with sunsets at 10 pm and light even later. But those amazing days draw big crowds, raising hotel room prices and crowding hot spots like the Pike Place Market and the Space Needle. Thankfully, Seattle offers plenty more to do than just enjoy the sunshine. The fall colors light the city on fire and spring blooms shower it in pink, the best hiking comes after the days cool down, and smart skiers wait until the snow falls before heading to the slopes.
The heavy snowfall in the Cascade Mountains means that many of the best hikes just outside the city still have a dusting of white in late spring, while summer brings endless crowds, bugs, and heat. But as kids go back to school and the sun gets less strong, the leaves light up and the trails are at their best. Anyone planning to spend some time getting out of the city and into the hills should aim to plan a trip for mid-September to late October. After that, the rains start to get harder and the threat of snow moves in, but for that month, the crunch of flame-colored leaves underfoot is unrivaled.
I love the smell of the city in fall - it’s a mix of dry fallen leaves and wood smoke, and it is absolutely heavenly.
Seattle’s summer crowds tend to arrive with the cruise ships coming into port, right around the middle of June. But the city starts gearing up for summer well before that. By scheduling a trip in May or early June, visitors can beat the crowds to Seattle and still might luck into a few nice days (never a sure thing in the city until well into July, anyway). By May, the daylight already stretches well past 9 pm, and the various boating facilities open their docks. Early in the month, you might still find seasonal discounts, but you’ll definitely be able to explore the Market without battling the hordes and getting the time you want to go up the Space Needle will be much easier.
If you visit when the weather doesn’t seem so inviting to get out on the water, know that Seattle locals never let that stop them, they just add a layer or two. But also, check out the two places in the city that rent hot tub boats, which let you sit in the cozy warmth of a floating hot tub as you see the city from Lake Union.
The many waterways that surround Seattle invite visitors to sail year-round and rarely warm up enough for great swimming, but if getting on the water is super important to your visit, make sure to come in late summer. By late July, Lake Union and Lake Washington usually stay warm enough for swimming throughout the day, and if the air is hot enough, a few brave souls dip a toe in Puget Sound. That is also when the marine breezes bring sailors sweet cool relief as they float around the Sound, rather than adding to the chill. The various boat rentals ramp up their hours throughout the summer, which gives you more time to check out a kayak from the Center for Wooden Boats, or a canoe from the Waterfront Activities Center, and the ferry and water taxi systems run as many boats as possible.
Summer is the most popular time to visit Seattle, but it is a wonky time to get a taste of the true local culture. People who live here flee from the crowds of tourists filling Downtown and retreat to campsites and cabins outside the city, while the cruise ships release massive amounts of people into the already packed tourist areas. But in the shoulder seasons – April, May, September, and October, the city truly comes to life. That’s when the locals will spend their days walking along the tree-lined streets, admiring the colors of the cherry blossoms and tulips, the apples falling from branches and orange leaves. The spring and fall bring in local fruit and vegetables to the Pike Place Market, and without the massive influx of meandering tourists, so Seattleites actually shop there.
The best time to visit Seattle for winter sports is, obviously, winter. But specifically, it’s late in the winter. While it rarely snows in the city, it snows often and heavily in the mountains right outside Seattle, making Seattle a great base for exploring the ski areas, snowmobile trails, and snowshoeing paths that start less than an hour away. The snow usually begins falling in November and it sticks around until well into April, but the heart of the season comes in early February. That’s when locals sneak off work early to night-ski at Stevens Pass and spend weekends tubing at Snoqualmie. Further away, Mt. Baker regularly sets records for the most snowfall in U.S. ski areas.
Small clubs and big arena shows never stop in Seattle, and any visit to the city should include at least a little live music. But the best time of year to find the most and best music in Seattle runs from Memorial Day in late May, when the outdoor show season kicks off with the Northwest Folklife Festival, to Labor Day in early September, when it closes out with Bumbershoot. In between, festivals of all sizes run in the city, including the Capitol Hill Block Party and Day In Day Out, and outside of it, like Revolution in Darrington and Thing in Port Townsend. Weekly concert series fill the parks and plazas with music, some free – like the Downtown Summer Sounds – and some not, like ZooTunes and Marymoor Live.
