Why does Seattle rain all the time?

Question

I went to Seattle several times, and on all times it rained. Why?

Answer 1

First I have to dispell that rumor that it "rains all the time" that's just a bad rep. In reality there are tons of other cities where it rains more. Rain is common in the winter (and spring), but mostly the climate is cloudy with little rain. Did you go in the winter time when you visited?

Seattle's average rainfall is 37.1 inches per year, with 201 cloudy days. Compared to New York City which has avg of 46.2 and 152 cloudy days.

(Seattle lies in the rain shadow of the nearby Olympic Mountains which could account for some of the less inches)


But to answer your question on why. The jet stream blows over the ocean and picks up the moisture into Seattle and this in turn condenses.




Other links to help you out:
http://www.komotv.com/weather/asksteve/4347321.html

http://www.komotv.com/weather/asksteve/4348261.html

Answer 2

I actually just got back from vacation in Seattle. It rained two out of the five days I was there. That might seem like a lot, but it didn't pour, it just sprinkled. The mountains keep most of the major thunderstorms away from the city. On this tour thing I went on the guy said that Miami gets over twice as much rain than Seattle. People just think it's always rainy because on average Seattle is cloudy about 250 days out of the year. Despite that, I loved it there and am considering moving there.

Answer 3

Well, you must have come in the winter or spring all of your visits. Seattle is beautiful in the summer and it rarely rains! Try coming in the summer and you will see how beautiful Seattle truly is. It actually does not rain all winter long either. Just 4-5 times a week! It does rain because we are close to the ocean and forest though! Hope this helps!

Answer 4

Seattle is near the ocean, so moist air off the pasific travels inland to seattle. It cools as it hits the olympic mountains and rains in seattle. then the rain goes to the cascade mountains and rains itself out.

Answer 5

Sorry you caught us on our off times. We often have warm and sunny spells, and even droughts in the summer.
To answer your question, it has to do with the climate. The Cascade Mountains, which extend down to Oregon, form a wall that blocks the clouds that come in off the Pacific Ocean. Rather than moving on to the eastern side of the state and spreading the rain out evenly, the tropical and northern clouds come in and are blocked by the mountains so they kind of just stick around and rain.

Answer 6

It's a complete rumor. I moved here three years ago and yes it rains a lot but not near as much as people told me it would. I think the rumor comes from it simply being cloudy 75% of the time.