Washington’s nickname, the Evergreen State, matches it nicely. This can be a place wealthy in alpine meadows and old-growth forests, lakes and rivers, waterfalls and wildflowers. And what makes all this inexperienced magnificence attainable? Rain – numerous it. This nook of the Pacific Northwest (and its largest metropolis, Seattle) have a well-earned fame for moist, drizzly climate.
However that’s solely half the story. The Cascade Mountains divide Washington into two distinct components. On the west aspect, inexperienced forests stretch to the Pacific Ocean, however east of the mountains it’s sometimes hotter and drier. Whereas the Olympic Peninsula rainforests may see up to 150 inches of rain a 12 months, the japanese components of the state get lower than 10 inches. In the meantime, the Cascade Mountains get round 200 inches of snowfall every winter.
In Western Washington, daytime temperatures not often go above 80°F in summer season or under 45°F in winter (although winter nights can dip under freezing). Jap Washington temperatures are hotter in summer season and colder in winter, and this a part of the state can see 300 days of sunshine a 12 months. Wherever you are headed in Washington, listed below are the best times to visit.
The July–September excessive season is the best time for heat, dry days
July and August are the warmest and driest months in Washington and its excessive season – even Seattleites get somewhat solar. Most guests decide to visit in summer season and early fall (July by way of September). Lodge costs go up, and there are extra folks in common neighborhoods and at large vacationer sights. Be aware that Washington State ferries add a summer season surcharge to fares from Could to September.
Nationwide parks and campgrounds are open, temperatures are delicate and the rain has eased, creating lovely situations for outside actions corresponding to mountaineering and tenting or sipping a beer on the patio. Coastal storms have calmed down, and the ruggedly lovely Washington coast beckons. Early fall is the best time to visit wineries, ideally by bicycle.
The November–March off-season is best for winter sports activities followers
November to January is the coldest and wettest interval in Washington (averaging 5-6 inches of precipitation per thirty days). Campgrounds are normally closed, and plenty of again roads are inaccessible. On the plus aspect, resort costs have a tendency to be decrease.
That is technically the off-season, nevertheless it’s prime time for winter sports activities. Ski season begins as early as mid-November and continues by way of to March, although snow lingers at larger elevations into July. Washington has some top-notch alpine ski resorts, in addition to numerous alternatives for cross-country snowboarding and snowshoeing.
The shoulder seasons (April–June and October) are quiet and damp
The shoulder seasons – masking the early spring and fall – will be an excellent time to visit in the event you’re hoping to keep away from the crowds, and are keen to take your possibilities on the climate. It’s doubtless to rain on you, however you might also get fortunate with a number of wonderful spring or fall days. You’ll be able to most likely discover house at campsites with out making reservations, and there gained’t be lengthy strains at main sights.
January sees loads of powder on the slopes
Western Washington in January will be fairly gloomy, with many unbroken cloudy days and many chilly rain. However in the event you’re a skier or snowboarder, it is a nice time to head for the hills, the place the excessive elevation turns all that precipitation into fluffy powder. In cities, it’s excellent climate for snuggling into a comfy pub or espresso store with that new ebook you bought for Christmas. For nature lovers, that is the height time to take an eagle-watching tour alongside the Skagit River.
Key Occasions: Lake Chelan Winterfest
Keep indoors and eat in February
The cloudy days proceed, however at the very least February is a brief month! Search out Valentine’s Day specials at wineries and positive eating places, like a three-course dinner on the Lodge Sorrento or the all-vegan Cafe Flora in Seattle. Hire a home with a hearth on Lengthy Seashore Peninsula, or keep away from the effort of winter driving and take an Amtrak prepare to the mock-Bavarian city of Leavenworth.
March sees spring begin to poke by way of the snow
Little hints of spring start to pop up in March, particularly within the japanese half of the state. In Seattle, Pike Place Market celebrates spring with Daffodil Days, alongside meals excursions and cooking courses. Lodge costs and airfares are comparatively cheap, and the summer season crowds have but to arrive. Spend a wet day on the Museum of Pop Tradition, or play some pinball on the Racket in Bellingham.
Key Occasions: Wings Over Water NW Birding Competition, Style Washington
April is the time to get out and discover
April is taken into account the start of the tip of winter within the Cascade Mountains; snow may proceed to fall, however a lot of the 12 months’s large powder dumps have already been delivered. Elsewhere, flowers are blooming, temperatures are warming and locals are rising from the winter gloom. A professional tip: Pack your rain gear and your sun shades, as a result of, nicely, you by no means know.
Snow-packed roads imply it’s not the best time for exploring the wilderness, however April normally brings excellent climate for scenic drives at decrease elevations – try the colourful fields of tulips within the Skagit Valley, or visit the intensely inexperienced and mysterious Hoh Rainforest on the Olympic Peninsula.
Key Occasions: Seattle Worldwide Movie Competition, Skagit Valley Tulip Competition
Could sees spring – and whales – sweep into Washington
Spring in Washington will be pleasant, although it is also continuously damp. Wildflowers and orchard blossoms are going robust by now, and so long as you bear in mind your raincoat you’ll be able to principally reside a standard life. Whale-watching boat excursions are an important household exercise for Could, and visiting any of the San Juan Islands is nearly obligatory, whether or not you are tenting or glamping or on a biking, driving or sea kayak tour.
Key Occasions: Poulsbo Viking Fest, Northwest Folklife Competition
June is the beginning of the tenting season
Springtime continues to morph into summer season as extra campgrounds and trails open up and early vacationer actions start. In case you’re fortunate, you’ll get summer-like climate with out the summer season crowds. Outside festivals are in all places; head to Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood for a definitive dose of Pacific Northwest road life.
Key Occasions: Orcas Island Lit Fest, Leavenworth Worldwide Accordion Celebration, Fremont Solstice Parade, Seattle PrideFest
July is correct summer season in Washington
July is formally summer season, with hotter temperatures, sunnier days, and larger crowds to show it. This is a wonderful time for a water-based journey corresponding to sea kayaking across the San Juan Islands or paddling Puget Sound. July can also be nice for backpacking into the Mount Rainier wilderness; head to the trailheads at Paradise for a variety of nice mountaineering choices.
By now, roads into the mountains are plowed, so it’s additionally a good time to visit scenic viewpoints within the Cascades. It’s laborious to beat the drive to Artist Level alongside the Mt Baker Scenic Byway from Bellingham.
Key Occasions: Capitol Hill Block Get together, Seafair, Sequim Lavender Competition
August is the time to go tenting on the coast
Summer time continues as temperatures rise and rainclouds disappear, and humanities and music festivals decide up. On the east aspect of the Cascades, warmth will be excessive and wildfires are a priority. Riverside and coastal campgrounds are a wonderful method to beat the warmth, however reserve forward as they do ebook up rapidly. In case you have been fortunate and clever, you deliberate forward and scored a campsite at beautiful Kalaloch Seashore on the Olympic Coast.
Key Occasions: Emerald Metropolis ComicCon, Makah Days, Washington State Worldwide Kite Competition
September is nice for quieter mountaineering
The starting of fall means kind of reliably lovely days with cooling temperatures and spectacular fall colours. Most mountaineering trails and campgrounds are nonetheless open, and are a lot much less crowded than they’re in summer season, particularly after the Labor Day weekend.
The climate continues to be heat sufficient for a backpacking journey into the Goat Rocks Wilderness or a day hike within the Enchantments. On 4 wheels, take a drive up to the Johnson Creek Observatory overlooking Mount St Helens to admire the views.
Key Occasions: Bumbershoot, Port Townsend Picket Boat Competition
You might get fortunate with the climate in October
Generally there’s a tremendous “second summer season” in October, with beautiful heat days, fall colours, and few crowds. Even when the climate doesn’t get that heat, it is a lovely time of 12 months within the Pacific Northwest. It is normally somewhat chilly at evening for tenting, however it might nonetheless be value it in the event you’re ready. Harvest season makes this a good time for meals and wine; try the annual Fall Competition at Seattle’s Pike Place Market.
Key Occasions: CrabFest, Leavenworth Oktoberfest, Issaquah Salmon Days
November ushers within the ski season
In an excellent snow 12 months, ski resorts are open by Thanksgiving. If it’s not a type of years, otherwise you’re not a skier, put on layers and concentrate on indoor actions. That is the time to bundle up and scurry between museums, cafes, pubs, and bookstores (together with the beloved Elliott Bay E book Firm in Seattle). Or attempt some attention-grabbing wines in Walla Walla, a cute city filled with tasting rooms.
Key Occasions: Brief Run Comics & Arts Competition
December sees Washington gearing up for the vacations
Vacation parades and tree-lighting festivals brighten up the dreary days and lengthy nights of December. In Seattle, search for floating mild reveals on the Christmas Ship Competition. Within the winter-loving mountain city of Leavenworth, all of Entrance Road is aglow, and the year-round Christmas decorations store lastly is sensible. Search for low cost flights for the ski season; The Summit at Snoqualmie is simply an hour’s drive from Seattle.
Key Occasions: Christmas Ship Competition, Leavenworth Christmas Lighting Competition
Maintain planning your journey to Washington:
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Plan just like the professionals with Copy My Journey: nature, luxurious and mind-blowing delicacies within the USA’s Pacific Northwest