Geography & Climate

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Divided by the Cascade Mountain range, Washington is a land of contrasts. Western Washington is characterized by a mild marine climate, while the eastern part of the state is high-desert country.

Despite the claim in Sleepless in Seattle, it really does not rain nine months a year in Puget Sound country. While the average total rainfall is 36 inches, most of the rain falls between October and April, heavy rainfall is rare, and the sun really does shine frequently. Average temperatures range from highs of 75 degrees (23.9 c) in mid-summer to lows of 26 degrees (-3.3 c) in January.

East of the Cascades, irrigation transforms the desert landscape, making it home to the state's major agricultural region. Average temperatures in eastern Washington range from summer highs of 89 degrees (31.6 c) to winter lows of 19 degrees (-7.2 c), and the average annual precipitation is only 18 inches (46.2 cm).

The western Washington skyline is dominated by Mount Rainier, which towers 14,410 feet (4,395 m) above sea level only miles away, and the other jagged peaks of the Cascade Mountains. In the west beyond Puget Sound the majestic Olympic Mountains are sentinels towering over one of the world's greatest old-growth forests.

• National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Climate Data

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