Seattle’s winter weather is limited greatly by the Pacific Ocean, where temperatures stay fairly even throughout the year. But every now and then, cold air gets pushed into the region, giving rise to cold spells and even snow.
Why does Seattle never get snow?
The city is relatively north, so you may wonder why Seattle does not always get snow. Snow needs cold air and rain, and the two don’t always come together in Seattle except in winter. Blizzards (which carry snow) occur when warm winds from a region collide with the Arctic Express’ frigid air.
Does Seattle get snow every year?
The US average is 205 sunny days. Seattle gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 155 days per year.
Climate Averages.
| Seattle, Washington | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Snowfall | 4.6 in. | 27.8 in. |
| Precipitation | 155.3 days | 106.2 days |
| Sunny | 152 days | 205 days |
| Avg. July High | 75.8° | 85.8° |
Why does Seattle have mild winters?
Temperature. The city’s regime of temperature features small seasonal swings, due to its proximity to the ocean. The Pacific ocean, Puget Sound and Lake Washington serve as moderators of the temperature meaning the city is milder than areas inland during the winter and cooler during the summer.
What is the most snow Seattle has ever had?
The unofficial record for the most snow in one winter is 64 inches in 1880. The single-day record is 21.5 inches in 19163. Other historical records that extend back beyond modern record keeping indicate that Seattle was colder and snowier in the past.
Is snow rare in Seattle?
Occasionally, cold air from the interior of the continent pushes into the Puget Sound region and causes dramatic cold spells, ice, and snow. While Seattle does not receive as much snow on average as many parts of the country, snowfall is not uncommon and can be heavy.
Does Seattle get more snow than Portland?
Seattle averages 4.6 inches of snow per year. Portland averages 2.6 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.
Does Seattle ever freeze?
Only once a year on average does the temperature remain below freezing for the entire day. The thermometer dips to freezing or below on 25 nights each year. Seattle gets as chilly as 20 °F (-8 °C) on average just once a year.
What month is the coldest in Seattle?
December
The coldest month of the year in Seattle is December, with an average low of 38°F and high of 47°F.
Why is there no AC in Seattle?
So why is Seattle among the least air-conditioned places in the country? Multiple factors play into it, such as Seattle landlord-tenant laws that don’t require air conditioning like they do heating. But local engineers said it comes down to cost effectiveness in a city with relatively mild year-round temperatures.
Why is Seattle weather so unpredictable?
The reason for these changing conditions is in part due to the jet stream, a fast-moving ribbon of air that circles the globe, which controls the direction of storms that impact the west coast.
Is Seattle expensive to live?
Payscale.com marks Seattle’s cost of living as 49% higher than the national average, pointing to the city’s average housing cost as the primary source for residents’s elevated expenses.
Does Seattle have 4 seasons?
In a broad sense, we really have only two seasons, wet and dry, said Logan Johnson, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service in Seattle. Calendar people, however, claim there are four.
When was the last big snow in Seattle?
Since 1948 the snowfall extremes were measured at Seattle—Tacoma International Airport.
Seattle – Extreme Daily Snowfall for Each Year.
| Inches | Date | Centimetres |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | December 21, 2020 + | 1.3 |
| 6.4 | February 08, 2019 | 16.3 |
| 1.0 | February 21, 2018 | 2.5 |
| 5.1 | February 06, 2017 | 13.0 |
Where does it not snow in the world?
Where In The World Has It Never Snowed? The Dry Valleys, Antarctica: Surprisingly, one of the coldest continents (Antarctica) is also home to a place that’s never seen snow. Known as the “Dry Valleys,” the region is one of the driest places on Earth and hasn’t seen rainfall for an estimated 2 million years.
Has it ever snowed in Seattle in April?
April 18, 2016 broke an all-time record for hottest day in Seattle – ever – at 89 degrees. But back on April 18, 2008, it actually snowed! Photographer Jean Sherrard documented the rare April snow. April 18, 2016 broke a heat record of 89 degrees.
What is Seattle best known for?
Seattle is famous for Starbucks and overall coffee culture, grunge music scene, the Seahawks, the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, headquarters of a lot of the tech industry (including both Amazon and Microsoft), hiking, kayaking, and general outdoors lifestyle (think REI).
Where does it snow the most in the US?
The outright snowiest place in America is Crater Lake National Park in Oregon’s Cascade Mountains, where an average winter brings 463.1 inches of snow. These are the seven snowiest cities in the U.S. based on the most recent 30-year climatological averages (1991-2020).
What is Seattle Freeze culture?
The Seattle Freeze is, according to widely held belief, a difficulty with making new friends in the U.S. city of Seattle, Washington, particularly for transplants from other areas.
What is the rainiest city in America?
Mobile
Mobile is the rainiest city in the United States. Mobile receives an average annual rainfall of 67 inches and has about 59 rainy days per year. Located on the Gulf of Mexico, Mobile’s winters tend to be mild and rainy, and the area is subjected to tropical storms and hurricanes during hurricane season.
Should I live in Seattle or Portland?
The winner: Seattle is the pick, simply because it has everything Portland has, only more so. The cities share many attributes, but your choices in Seattle are always greater and more diverse. One caveat: if you want to party all night long, Portland is your best bet.