Shorts In Seattle

[oldIrish]

Will be spending four days in Seattle the week of 8/4 prior to boarding. Do Bermuda shorts look out of place while doing touristy things or should I just leave them at home?

[cruise orlando]

I used to live in Seattle. Seattleites don shorts when the temp. hits 60. Seattle residents pray summer falls on the weekend.

John

[elena7seas]

I used to live in Seattle. Seattleites don shorts when the temp. hits 60. Seattle residents pray summer falls on the weekend.

John

 

Laughing so hard I almost fell off my chair.

 

Like our cousins in Seattle, we Vancouverites are a hardy lot too. My husband wears shorts and sandals at home all year round.

[cdbaum]

But then Bermuda shorts look out of place just about anywhere except Bermuda. Actually, you will find that people in Seattle wear shorts (normal ones that is) no matter what the weather. Not everybody mind you but most of the people that I know prefer shorts most of the time. If it happens to be in summer (either week of it) then that's a bonus.

 

You might find that the weather is fantastic, it can happen. What the locals don't want everyone to know is that it isn't nearly as dreary there as you hear. OK, discount November through March.

 

Do you know what a sunny day following two rainy days is called... Monday. (Seattle humor)

[SailorJack]

Having lived in Seattle I can attest that shorts are acceptable. If you are fortunate in your visit you can attend the Seattle Rain Fest...it runs from January 1 through December 31.

[DCT61]

I always though Seattle got bad press when it comes to rain. When I mention Seattle (where my family is from) to folks her in Tennessee, they always mention the rain. You can imagine their shock when they find out that Nashville has a yearly avg rainfall of 48.11 inches whereas Seattle only has 37.1....and yet Nashville is considered a "sunny" climate.

[love2sale]

Probably like Texas and get it all at once.

[happycat Bainbridge Is]

Seattle is the fashion frontier - wear whatever you like (the manskirt, pink hair, fleece and khaki go just about anywhere) ....

 

It's so NOT east coastie in terms of "appropriate" attire. That said, this has been a generally cool summer (one that justifies all those jokes!) ... with highs around 70 (but note it can take until 5 p.m. to get to the warmest temp of the day and be a lot cooler earlier).

 

You may get cool and drizzly, you may get warm-to-hot but not humid, so our sartorial coping mechanism is: layers. The same will serve you well in Alaska.

 

Also depends on what you want to do - you'll probably be comfy enough downtown walking around in shorts, but if you want to ride the ferry to BI (top deck) for open air views of the waterfront, sound and maybe Mt. Rainier ... it's pretty breezy and I see a lot of shivering tourists in shorts.

 

So throw a sweatshirt and/or windbreaker in a pack and bring in along so you can layer up over your t-shirt and then peel down again as appropriate. Hope you enjoy your time here!

 

HCBI

[Cruise Junky]

So throw a sweatshirt and/or windbreaker in a pack and bring in along so you can layer up over your t-shirt and then peel down again as appropriate. Hope you enjoy your time here!

 

HCBI

 

Perfect advice for Seattle. Wear what you want, just bring layers and a matching umbrella :)

[BellKat]

Weather report is looking good for next week so bring those shorts (but don't forget the layers just in case!)

 

Kathleen

[oldIrish]

Appreciate the tips and the sense of humor that came with them. Heard a lot of favorable comments about the City and looking forward to a great 5 days.

[vga4life]

Perfect advice for Seattle. Wear what you want, just bring layers and a matching umbrella :)

 

There aren't many better way to stand out as a tourist or new arrival in Seattle than to carry an umbrella. Our rain is usually a "dry rain" - and when it's not, it's too windy for an umbrella anyhow. :)

 

I wear a lightweight wind/rain shell from REI probably 2/3 of the days between mid-September and mid-June.

[kjwinston]

Growing up in Seattle I wore Shorts in all kinds of weather....Never out of place infact It looks very good in your shorts with layered shirts and an Umbrella! (also must have a Starbucks in hand to look local) Did you know that Seattle sells more sunglasses per capita than any other city in the United States. Also, Seattle has less rain fall than New York, Miami, Houston, San Francisco, and Boston. Only warning I could give you that if it is sunny "everybody" and i mean everybody are out side! Have fun in Seattle it is a beautiful city! :D

[Cruise Junky]

There aren't many better way to stand out as a tourist or new arrival in Seattle than to carry an umbrella. Our rain is usually a "dry rain" - and when it's not, it's too windy for an umbrella anyhow. :)

 

I wear a lightweight wind/rain shell from REI probably 2/3 of the days between mid-September and mid-June.

 

A dry rain??? hah, you're talking to someone from Vancouver :) You are right about the wind though, but I'd still not be caught without my umbrella in Seattle.

[SailorJack]

I always though Seattle got bad press when it comes to rain. When I mention Seattle (where my family is from) to folks her in Tennessee, they always mention the rain. You can imagine their shock when they find out that Nashville has a yearly avg rainfall of 48.11 inches whereas Seattle only has 37.1....and yet Nashville is considered a "sunny" climate.

 

All very true, but Seattle has an average of 226 cloudy days a year. As a result, most of the rain that Seattle gets is a drizzle or very light rain. So you can get a quarter inch of rain every other day for a month and only wind up with about 4 inches of rain for that month.

 

Here in Atlanta which has a higher average rainfall than Seattle we can get three inches in a day and then go for weeks without a drop.

[kjwinston]

Being from Seattle you are using the wrong term....not partly cloudy...but "Gray Overcast"...And there is lots of that. This is why Sunglasses sell so well in Seattle. :D