Does it really rain a lot in Washington?
When it comes to climate and geography, Washington State is a study in contrasts. While there is a somewhat common perception that it rains all the time in Washington, Seattle actually ranks 44th among major U.S. cities, getting less rainfall annually than Boston, New York, Houston and Miami.
Hawaii overall is the rainiest state in the US, with a state-wide average of 63.7 inches (1618 millimetres) of rain a year.
Now, Washington is wetter on average of course, and this is due to the fact that it is closer to the jet stream (pineapple express), which gives it more plentiful precipitation, while California is further south and gets missed by this jet stream most of the time.
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.
In the United States in 2021, Mississippi recorded 66.84 inches of precipitation, the highest amount of within the contiguous 48 states that year. Nevada was the driest state, with only 9.56 inches of precipitation recorded.
The wettest city in the U.S. is Hilo, Hawaii, where it rains 211 days a year. Interestingly, Hilo gets between 10 and 40 times as much rain as some other parts of the Big Island. It also rains and snows a lot in Alaska. Sitka gets about 86 inches of precipitation a year over a whopping 173 days.
| Rank | Average Precipitation ▼ | City / Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | 110.31 inches | Taholah, WA / 829 |
| 2. | 109.79 inches | Amanda Park, WA / 175 |
| 3. | 109.77 inches | Quinault, WA |
| 4. | 109.75 inches | Neilton, WA / 400 |
Nevada is the driest state in the US, receiving about 10.2 inches (241 mm) of rain every year. According to data collected since 1938, Las Vegas receives slightly less than 4.2 inches of rain per year on average.
You can see the location below. Less than five inches in Washington State. Who would have thought? Mattawa has almost exactly the same annual precipitation as Las Vegas (4.49 inches per year).
Meanwhile, the absolute wettest places in the continental United States are located in the Pacific Northwest, with Washington State's Aberdeen Reservoir taking the top spot with an average yearly precipitation of 130.6 inches (3317mm).
Is Seattle the rainiest city in the US?
(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.
According to Guinness World Records, the place with the highest average annual rainfall is the village of Mawsynram in northeastern India, which receives nearly 12,000mm of rain per year (Cardiff, in comparison, receives just 1,150mm).
Forks, Washington is located in the heart of the Olympic Peninsula, between the Olympic mountains and the Pacific Ocean beaches.
Tacoma, WA
Despite the Pacific Northwest's reputation for rain, Tacoma has some of the best weather in the U.S.—it actually receives less rainfall each year on average than other major U.S. cities like Houston and New York!
Seattle gets most of the recognition and most of the residents, with about 60% of the state's population, and it has many noteworthy neighborhoods. But numerous other towns and communities are also great spots to call home.
- Georgia – 50 inches of rain per year. ...
- Tennessee – 51.6 inches of rain per year. ...
- Florida – 53.7 inches of rain per year. ...
- Alabama – 56 inches of rain per year. ...
- Mississippi – 57 inches of rain per year. ...
- Louisiana – about 60 inches of rain per year. ...
- Hawaii – 63.70 inches of rain per year.
1. Florida. Florida is the hottest state in the U.S., with an average annual temperature of 71.5°F (21.9°C) between 1991 and 2020. It is the southernmost contiguous U.S. state with a subtropical climate in its northern and central regions and a tropical climate in its southern regions.
- Hilo, Hawaii - 211 rainy days/year. An aerial view of Hilo in Hawaii. ...
- Sitka, Alaska - 173 rainy days/year. Aerial view of Sitka, America's second wettest city. ...
- Sequim, Washington - 143 rainy days/year. ...
- West Palm Beach, Florida - 131 rainy days/year.
- Houston gets 54" in 99 days.
- Atlanta gets 50" in 116.
- New York City gets nearly 50" in 120.
- Chicago is real close with 38" on 125.
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is one of the most rainy cities in United States; no wonder it's known as the rain city (the name alone makes it a must for rain lovers). You can visit Seattle between October and May to get in on loads of rain, but that's not all you'll get.
Does it rain more in Seattle or London?
No, Seattle gets much more rainfall than London, 866 mm versus 557 mm per year. Temperatures are roughly comparable. The fact is that London's reputation as a rainy city is undeserved. It's actually fairly dry compared to Seattle.
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.
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.
Nevada has the lowest humidity. It's no coincidence the state is known for its desert and arid climate. With average relative humidity sitting at 38.3%, Nevada has the lowest relative humidity (when comparing states) in the country. Where is it 70 degrees year-round in the United States?
You might be surprised to see that our most northern state tops this list, but there's a reason that Alaska has the highest Relative Humidity (RH). Alaska has an average RH of 77%. The next highest state, Florida, comes in around 74% average RH.
In winter, North and South Dakota are the driest in the country, but for spring, Arizona and New Mexico see the least rain. In summer, California and Nevada take the lead, then for fall, Nevada and Wyoming top the list.
Geography and climate
Winthrop and Mazama recorded the coldest temperature ever measured in Washington state at –48 °F (–44.4 °C) on December 30, 1968.
Warmest (annual): Vancouver (average annual temperature 54.1°F). Warmest (month): Pasco (average July max temperature 91.3°F). Coldest (annual): Republic (average annual temperature 43.9°F).
| State | Place | Average annual snowfall |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Washington | Paradise, Mount Rainier | 645.5 inches (1,640 cm) |
| 2. Oregon | Timberline Lodge Ski Area | 551 inches (1,400 cm) |
| 3. Utah | Alta | 456.9 inches (1,161 cm) |
| 4. California | Soda Springs | 411.6 inches (1045 cm) |
| Rank | State | Average yearly rainfall |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | 57.2 |
| 2 | Louisiana | 56.9 |
| 3 | Mississippi | 55.5 |
| 4 | Alabama | 55.3 |
What is the gloomiest city in the US?
1. 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.
Yet few folks know that it actually rains more in Portland than Seattle — Seattle averages 38″ of rainfall annually compared to Portland's 43″.
Las Vegas, the least rainy of all, usually never sees more than four damp days a month.
Discussion. The world's lowest average yearly precipitation in 0.03" (0.08 cm) during a 59-year period at Arica Chile. Lane notes that no rainfall has ever been recorded at Calama in the Atacama Desert, Chile.
For years, two villages have claimed the title as the wettest place on earth. Mawsynram and Cherrapunji are just 10 miles apart, but Mawsynram beats its competitor by a mere 4 inches of rainfall. Although it doesn't rain all day in Meghalaya, it does rain every day, Chapple told weather.com.
Portions of the Olympic Peninsula receive upwards of 150 inches of precipitation annually, while areas along the Columbia River in eastern interior Washington average less than 10 inches. Statewide total annual precipitation has ranged from a low of 26.0 inches in 1929 to a high of 55.0 inches in 1996.
In the interior valleys, measurable rainfall is recorded on 150 days each year and on 190 days in the mountains and along the coast. Thunderstorms over the lower elevations occur on four to eight days each year and over the mountains on seven to 15 days.
Seattle Rain FAQs
A: On average it rains about 150 days a year in Seattle, but the amount of rain isn't much. Q: How much rainfall does Seattle get each year? A: On average, Seattle gets about 37 inches of rain each year.
When it comes to rain, 53 percent in the region ranked it positively in terms of amount and type of rain—but only 45 percent did so in soggy Western Washington. More folks in Eastern Washington felt positively about the rain, probably because they see so much less of it: 65 percent.
The wettest city in the world is Buenaventura, where it rains 258 days per year. Australia's rainiest city is Cairns in Queensland, with 117 days of precipitation. The UK's wettest city is Londonderry in Northern Ireland (147 days). The wettest city in the US is Hilo, Hawaii (211 days).
What is the most rainy city in Washington?
Forks, Washington is located in the heart of the Olympic Peninsula, between the Olympic mountains and the Pacific Ocean beaches.
A lot of people may not realize, though, that Washington averages more rain than those cities even in a normal year. The average annual rainfall amounts in Seattle and London are 37 and 23 inches, compared with Washington's 40 inches.
In western Washington, the driest location is the rainshadow of the Olympics, where some locations, such as Sequim, enjoy 15-17 inches of precipitation per year. But if you are looking for REALLY dry conditions, you must head to southeastern Washington, where less than ten inches a year reaches the rain gauge.
Rain Season in Seattle
The reason for this kind of weather is that Seattle is situated near the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The largest ocean on the planet brings a huge amount of moisture over to the state of Washington, carrying it over the Olympic Mountain range.
Believe it or not, there are cities with even more rainy (or snowy) days: Buffalo, Portland, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh. Portland didn't surprise me. It's Seattle's "little brother" down the road, and the weather there is very similar to ours. But Buffalo, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh?
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″.
Rainwater can only be collected from existing structures that have another purpose other than collecting rainwater. If we find that rainwater collection is negatively affecting existing water rights in an area, local restrictions may be developed to govern new systems.
No, Seattle gets much more rainfall than London, 866 mm versus 557 mm per year. Temperatures are roughly comparable.
