Seattle weather in November
November in Seattle: cold, rainy, with clean air — a fair time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#10 of 12 months in Seattle · #1188 of 1413 destinations to visit in November · comfort 57/100 (tier D)
- Days
- 11°C
- Nights
- 4°C
- Wet days
- 14
- Sun
- 4.6 h
- Humidity
- 86%
- Daylight
- 9 h

Traveller notes on Seattle in November
Other months in Seattle
Regulars describe this as the most variable month of the year here, unlike the more settled fall and winter, with two genuinely distinct outcomes possible on any given day - sunny and into the low 70s Fahrenheit, or overcast with highs stuck in the upper 50s to low 60s. Our row backs the mild, changeable average across that range, 19.1C over 9.5C nights, with 34mm of rain across 5.3 days. Regulars are consistent this is still a genuinely good time to visit, flowers in full bloom and springlike energy throughout the city, with layering the standard advice given how unpredictable a specific day can turn out. The record: humidity 74 percent, 10.8 hours of sun, a 12.6 kph wind and AQI 44.
Regulars call this one of the city's best-looking months on paper, and are specific about why: the rains that define this region typically hold off until mid-October, and the first week of the month is often the driest and warmest stretch, with the back half cooling off a little as it goes. Our row backs the shift, 21.4C over 12.3C nights, with 35.5mm of rain across 5.6 days - a real total, but light next to what regulars describe arriving a month later. Evenings call for a light jacket or sweatshirt once the sun goes down. The one caveat some years bring is wildfire smoke drifting in from regional fires, not present every September but enough that regulars mention checking air quality before a trip built around outdoor views. The record: 9.5 hours of sun, a 12.3 kph wind and AQI 40.
Juneuary is the local word for the version of this month that feels like January, and the local claim is that summer does not start until the 5th of July - the same joke the Portland board tells, two hundred kilometres south. The instruction that follows is precise: the 30th of June is a different month from the 1st, so come at the end. Our row is kinder than the nickname. Rain is 29.5mm across 5.1 days, and there are 11.6 hours of sun inside 15.9 of daylight, so the grey is brief showers between sun breaks rather than a ceiling. What June lacks is warmth - 21.6C by day, 12C at night. The record: humidity 71 percent, a 12.5 kph wind and AQI 39.
Seattle-forum threads on August are almost giddy about the weather - this and the two months around it are the reliably dry, sunny stretch of the year, with posters calling a soggy day genuinely rare and temperatures running warm without the humidity that makes other cities miserable in summer. The one recurring caveat has nothing to do with rainfall: more than one thread flags wildfire smoke as the real risk, a haze that can roll in and ruin an otherwise perfect week with no warning. Cruise-ship crowds pack Pike Place Market and the Space Needle on port days. The record backs the dry read completely: 25.2C days, 14.7C nights, just 12mm total across 1.6 days, 11.4 hours of sun and an AQI of 44 - though that AQI can spike hard on a bad smoke day, which the average doesn't show.
Year-round notes are on Seattle's overview. Add your own note from Seattle's card on the map.
Seattle climate normals — November
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Seattle in November
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Peak crowdsThanksgiving, Thanksgiving break in United States(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Seattle's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Toughest weatherSeattle's weather peaks June–August, best around July.
November coincides with Winter storms and pass closures.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Seattle in November
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Nature
Fall colour in the Arboretum
10 Oct – 10 Nov · usuallyAutumn colourThe Washington Park Arboretum and the Japanese Garden turn through late October, usually a week or two after the maples in the Cascade passes. Rain takes the leaves down fast once it starts.
- Hazard
Winter storms and pass closures
1 Nov – 28 Feb · usuallyStorm seasonClosuresAtmospheric rivers bring wind, flooding and power cuts through the dark months, and Snoqualmie and Stevens close for hours at a time for avalanche control. Snow in the city itself is rarer and worse. Source ↗
- Holiday
Thanksgiving
25–29 NovNational holidayCrowdedClosuresThanksgiving, the fourth Thursday of November, is the country's biggest travel holiday: airports and highways are at their busiest on the Wednesday before and the Sunday after, and on the day itself offices, banks and many shops close. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Seattle — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Seattle?
Seattle in November — FAQ
- Is November a good time to visit Seattle?
- November in Seattle: cold, rainy, with clean air — a fair time to visit. It ranks #10 of 12 months for Seattle on SeasonMap's comfort score (57/100).
- What is the weather like in Seattle in November?
- In November, Seattle averages a daily high of 11°C and a low of 4.2°C, with about 107.6 mm of rain over roughly 14 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Seattle in November?
- Seattle has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 37 in November.
- Does it snow in Seattle in November?
- Seattle sees roughly 1 cm of snowfall in November.
Within 300 km: Vancouver's Salmon run around 1 Oct – 10 Nov, and Portland's Fall colour around 10 Oct – 10 Nov.