Washington

Climate in Washington

The climate in Washington varies across the state from east to west, and the state is divided both geographically and climatically by the Cascade Mountain range. The western part of Washington tends to be mild and humid, and is one of the world's rainiest areas, while the eastern region is cooler and drier with a more continental type of climate, experiencing hot summers and cold winters. Western Washington often experiences heavy cloud cover, fog and drizzle, and although summers tend to be sunny, they are milder than in the east. In the western area, average temperatures in summer can range from 44F (7C) on the slope of the Western Cascade Mountains (which experience some of the heaviest snowfall in the US) to 80F (27C) in the foothills, while winter temperatures range from 20F (-7C) on the western slopes of the Cascades to 48°F (9C) along the Pacific coast. The average temperatures in Eastern Washington are more extreme, with summer temperatures ranging from a cool 48F (9C) on slope of the Eastern Cascades to 92F (33C) in the south-central part of the state and winter temperatures range from 8F (-13C) in the northeastern Cascades to 40F (4C) on the southeastern plateau. Rainfall in Seattle is usually heaviest from October to March.