Pacific Northwest Weather

Our Pacific Northwest Tours include the Olympic Peninsula, the Oregon Coast, the Columbia River Gorge and east into the Cascade Mountains.  A common, but inaccurate, perception of the climate in the coastal Pacific Northwest is one of cool, cloudy, damp days with abundant rainfall. In reality, the period from May into early October is ideal for both hiking and cycling. Daytime temperatures range from the mid-60’s along the coast to the mid-80’s inland with abundant sunshine and only moderate to light rainfall occurring primarily as brief showers rather than day-long downpours. 

Weather conditions vary greatly throughout the day. Morning fog is not uncommon along the coastal regions, but generally burns off by mid-morning. The prevailing winds along the coast are from the northwest. Our southbound coastal routes are a testimony to the predictability of these winds. Temperatures along the coast are markedly cooler than those inland. 

As with all general rules, there are exceptions. The San Juan Islands experience less rainfall than the adjacent coastline of mainland Washington. The northern portion of the Olympic Peninsula near Sequim and Port Angeles is far drier than other areas on the Peninsula. 

The region’s warmest temperatures and sparsest rainfall are experienced east of the Cascades and particularly in the Columbia River Valley near Wenatchee and Chelan and in the Columbia River Gorge. Daytime temperatures can climb into the lower 70’s to mid 80’s as early as mid-May and rise beyond that into July and August. As we move northward along the Columbia/Kootenay system north of Spokane into Canada, rain showers can become more common and temperatures will be markedly cooler, likely in the mid-60’s to lower-80’s range.