Weather in mid-August for Seattle?

Spending 3 days pre-cruise, what can we expect weather wise?

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A quick search for a site like accuweather will give you historical data and averages.

Looks dry so far.... mid-August is when the Fall rains start to come.

http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/seattle-wa/98104/august-weather/351409

You can never be sure in the PNW, but it should be sunny and warm with daytime temps in the mid to high 70s.

Thanks everyone! Glad Southwest has 2 free checked bags, looks like I may be packing for all sorts of weather!!

Seattle is the driest MLB city outside California, during the regular season. August is pretty reliably warm and dry. There is a small chance of morning fog that will burn off between ten and eleven.

Just don't tell anyone. This place is overrun with new residents as it is. ;0)

Seattle is the driest MLB city outside California, during the regular season. August is pretty reliably warm and dry. There is a small chance of morning fog that will burn off between ten and eleven.

 

Just don't tell anyone. This place is overrun with new residents as it is. ;0)

That is why Safeco field has a roof that closes when it rains. When baseball is played in April, the roof is closed 75% of the time, May 40% Sept 55% and the rest of the months 20% Seattle has more days of rain than 99% of the other major cities in USA. Average high temp in August is 72. The northwest wind usually kicks in around 6 Pm and cools down to the low 60's

Yes, the factoid is an excellent example of how to lie with statistics, as the "driest" is based on total inches of precip, not days with rain or rain incidents.

The roof closures are overly conservative, IMHO.

When we arrived in Seattle before our Alaskan cruise in mid-August 2004, there was a rare heat spell going on. When leaving our hotel on the day of our cruise, we ran into some people who had just gotten off a ship and said they wore shorts the whole week. While we were on a cruise just a day or two, the rain definitely got cooler. The day we disembarked, it was pouring in Seattle. We spent a few days post-cruise and it remained cool. (the other times I was in Seattle were in November -- and it snowed then, and in April -- and some parts of Washington State did get snow)

I haven't followed the weather in Seattle this last year, but northern California did get a ton of rain. But back in August, the coastal area had cool, but nice weather, so I figure that's the usual weather in late summer in Seattle, too.

As something of a weather geek I've observed weather patterns around Puget Sound most of my life. When I was growing up it was said often on hot sunny August days that there was a reason that Seafair is at the end of the 1st week of August (mostly August 3-7 this year). I remember getting some whopper sunburns sitting along Lake Washington watching the hydroplane races.

We also used to say that summer begins the weekend AFTER 4th of July, which was typically cloudy, cool and wet. When I have advised family in MN when to visit I always recommend August through Sept. 15th as mostly safe. There is a common pattern in this period of having a high pressure ridge over the Cascades causing down slope adiabatic heating in the Puget Sound basin. Later in September the big winter low pressure starts to set up in the Gulf of Alaska and cranks up the rainy Pineapple Express through Christmas. To round the year out January often has a dry sunny period - although pretty cool. Finally May is rainbow month - pop up instability showers late in the day with cool air aloft catch the lowering sun making for easy rainbow spotting - although those showers can also produce some pea sized hail.

And remember - climate is what you expect but weather is what you get. ;) Anything can happen anytime.

 

And remember - climate is what you expect but weather is what you get. ;) Anything can happen anytime.

I love that line and may have to steal it when I get tired of the multiple questions often asked weeks to months in advance as to what the weather will be like on a specific cruise/date.

My best weather report is usually sticking my arm out the window and looking up at the sky. But even then Mother Nature can fool you later. Weather is like the stock market past performance cannot predict future trends.

That why for Alaska my key word is always LAYERS.

Better yet, since weather is unpredictable anywhere, google or get a phone app and check the forecast a week before you leave. That way you should get a closer idea of the forecast.

I love that line and may have to steal it

Re-steal it that is. I got it from my meteorology prof. in college. :D

Better yet, since weather is unpredictable anywhere, google or get a phone app and check the forecast a week before you leave. That way you should get a closer idea of the forecast.

For every Princess, Holland-America, and Carnival cruise that has Roll Call thread going, on the Monday before the cruise starts, I post a message on that roll call that includes, among other things a weather forecast for the upcoming weekend. On the Friday before that weekend, I then post an update. It helps people find out what's coming up on that weekend both weather-wise and activity-wise.

Tom