Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
unheard of (though not unknown).
During these dry summer months
Washington families flock to the San
Juan Islands to, among other things,
watch the region's famous orca whales
feeding in the waters off San Juan
Island. July and August are also the
state's main festival months, and sev-
eral of the big festivals in the Seattle
area can make finding a hotel room on
a festival weekend difficult. Seafair is
the biggest of these festivals, with
Labor Day weekend's Bumbershoot
festival packing the city as well.
However, Labor Day weekend aside,
September is really one of the best
months to visit. Skies are often still
cloudless, and the kids are back in
school (so the crowds at popular desti-
nations such as the San Juan Islands
and Mount Rainier are really bad only
on weekends). In the mountains, wild-
flowers are often still in bloom (though
peak bloom in the Cascade Range and
Olympic Mountains is July-Aug).
With the coming of the rains,
Washingtonians begin spending far
more time indoors and consequently,
the performing arts in Seattle and
other major cities begin their annual
seasons. So, if you're keen on catching
the Seattle Opera or some of Seattle's
fringe theater, you'll need to plan a
rainy season visit. This may not be as
bad as it sounds considering the fact
that hotels in Seattle offer substantial
discounts during the dreary winter
months. Keep in mind, though, that
winters usually include one or two
blasts of Arctic air that bring snow and
freezing weather to the Seattle area.
Winter also brings the ski season
and sometimes record-setting snow-
falls such as that of the winter of
1998-99, which dumped close to 100
feet of snow on Mount Baker. While
the snow in Washington can be heavy
and rains often fall in the mountains
in the middle of winter, there are sev-
eral very popular ski areas in the Cas-
cades, as well as some smaller ski areas
in eastern Washington.
Note that the preceding discussion
applies to the west side of the Cas-
cades. East of the Cascades, the cli-
mate is very different and some
regions, sometimes referred to as the
high desert, are characterized by tem-
perature extremes and a lack of rain.
These areas can be very cold in the
winter and can get moderate amounts
of snow in the foothill regions. In
summer the weather can be blazing
hot, though nights are often cool
enough to require a sweater or light
jacket. The dry lands of eastern Wash-
ington are primarily agricultural
regions, and it is here that most of the
state's wine grapes are grown. In win-
ter, most wineries that are open to the
public cut their hours or close down
completely.
Seattle's Average Temperature & Days of Rain
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Temp. (°F)
46
50
53
58
65
69
75
74
69
60
52
47
e p. (° )
8
10
11
15
18
21
24
23
21
16
11
8
Rain (days)
19
16
17
14
10
9
5
7
9
14
18
20
WASHINGTON CALENDAR
OF EVENTS
For additional information on events in
Washington State, check the calendar section
on the Washington State Tourism Office web-
site at
www.experiencewashington.com
.
February
Northwest Flower & Garden
Show
(
&
800/229-6311
or 206/
789-5333; www.gardenshow.com),
Washington State Convention and
