How often is it cloudy in Seattle?
In some ways, it's an image that's understanable, especially when you consider that Seattle can experience more than 300 cloudy days per year. But most of those days are just that – cloudy — and not rainy. The annual average rainfall just shy of 40 inches per year.
Most Cloudy Days
When days with partial cloud are added to the days of heavy cloud, to include every day that cloud covers more than one-quarter of the sky, then Buffalo's average of 311 days a year edges out Seattle's 308 days. Portland drops down to the country's sixth cloudiest major city.
It is the northernmost major city in the contiguous U.S., which means that in the winter the sun rises later and sets earlier. Even when the sun is up, it's probably behind clouds: according to the NOAA, Seattle has clear skies just 28% of the time from November to February, the lowest rate of any city in the U.S.
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Number of Sunny Days.
| City | Seattle |
|---|---|
| Sunny | 71 |
| Partly Sunny | 93 |
| Total Days With Sun | 164 |
Seattle is the cloudiest major city in the Lower 48 states — 226 days a year with clouds covering more than three-quarters of the sky.
Anchorage, AK
With an average of over 230 cloudy days per year, Anchorage is the gloomiest city in the United States. This high number of cloudy days actually means that Anchorage spends about 65% of every year under clouds.
The south coast of Alaska leads the way as the cloudiest region of the United States. Several weather stations scattered along the coast's remote islands and bays report more cloudy days a year than anywhere else in the country.
- Anchorage, Alaska. 239 cloudy days per year. ...
- Seattle, Washington. 226 cloudy days per year. ...
- Portland, Oregon. 222 cloudy days per year. ...
- Eugene, Oregon. 209 cloudy days per year. ...
- Buffalo, New York. 208 cloudy days per year. ...
- Salem, Oregon. ...
- Grand Rapids, Michigan. ...
- Syracuse, New York.
(WMC) - Seattle, Washington, is known by many as the rainiest city in the United States, but it actually does not even come close to the top of the list. While the Olympic Mountains to the west of Seattle act as a rain shadow, the city of Seattle picks up less precipitation each year compared to New York or even Miami.
One week in Seattle is a great experience. There is a lot to do in the city and 7 days in Seattle is perfect if you want to do it all! Seattle is a great city in the United States and it's the largest city in Washington State. If you're thinking of spending 7 days in Seattle, that's definitely a good idea!
Is Washington the cloudiest state?
“Yes, a section of Washington is one of the cloudiest regions in the country, but there's more to the story than our cloudy coastline,” said Washington State University meteorologist Nic Loyd of AgWeatherNet, a WSU network of 166 weather stations statewide.
If you want to find a full day of sunshine, drive about two hours east to Yakima or Ellensburg. If that's not sunny enough for you, drive south to Klickitat County or a few hours north to Omak or Winthrop.
Sequim, Washington
If you're looking to stay somewhat local, consider a trip to Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula. We know what you're thinking: There's no way to escape the cloud cover for hundreds of miles, but as it turns out, Sequim is the sunniest place in Western Washington.
Everyone knows that gray skies and rainy days are inevitable while living in Seattle or Portland. Yet few folks know that it actually rains more in Portland than Seattle — Seattle averages 38″ of rainfall annually compared to Portland's 43″.
With a highly active climate, Vermont only sees 58 days of full sunshine each year. 1. Washington. Washington State features a climate that is similar to Oregon's, but even more extreme.
What makes Seattle so rainy? Seattle is located slap-bang in the middle of a convergence zone where nearby weather patterns meet. It's here that different streams of hot air, cold air and moisture collide, forming clouds, rain, hail and snow.
The weather in Portland and Seattle are fairly similar to each other. It gets hotter in Portland than it does in Seattle. Portland's highs range from 46°F to 80°F and Seattle's highs range from 46°F to 72°F.
However, one Northwest city got the crown for most rainy days (days with 0.25 inches, or 0.64 centimeters, of rain or more) a year: the capital of Washington State, Olympia, with nearly 64 days of rain annually [source: WeatherBill, Inc.]. Seattle was a measly 41st on the list for cities with most rainfall.
About 2,100 hours of sunshine per year are recorded in Seattle. As mentioned, even though the sky is often cloudy for many months a year, in summer (and even in late spring) the sunshine amount becomes good.
What is the rainiest month in Seattle?
The rainy season extends from October to March with December normally the wettest month, however, precipitation is rather evenly distributed through the winter and early spring months with more than 75% of the yearly precipitation falling during the winter wet season.
Seattle gets its reputation as being the rainiest city due to the number of days with precipitation. It has more days with rain than both New York City and Miami.
Portland averages 144 sunny days annually, while Seattle averages 152, so it is sunnier in Seattle than in Portland. Both Northwest cities have lots of partially sunny (or partially cloudy, depending on your perspective) days and are well below the national average of 205 sunny days per year.
Seattle is consistently ranked among the 10 best places to live in the United States by U.S. News, and for good reason. Not only is Seattle surrounded by lush evergreen forests, but the city is famous for being environmentally friendly. Plus, its residents earn above-average incomes.
