LOCATION · United States
Seattle Weather Radar & Live Satellite Map
Is an atmospheric river or Pacific storm bearing down on Puget Sound?
Seattle's weather is gentle but persistent: cool, grey and damp for much of the year, punctuated by powerful Pacific storms and the occasional atmospheric river that delivers the region's heaviest rain. The light, widespread nature of much of its precipitation makes Seattle a great place to learn the difference between radar and satellite.
Open the live map over Seattle and switch on Precip Radar and Cloud Imagery.
What to watch over Puget Sound
- Atmospheric rivers — long plumes of Pacific moisture (the "Pineapple Express" when they originate near Hawaii) bring the heaviest rain and mountain snow, and can cause flooding. On satellite they look like a firehose of cloud aimed straight at the coast.
- Marine-layer drizzle — cool, moist Pacific air spreads a low grey cloud deck and light drizzle over the region. On radar this is a faint, widespread wash, not bright cells.
- Pacific storm systems — autumn through spring, frontal systems sweep in off the ocean from the west and southwest, bringing wind and steadier rain.
- The rain shadow — terrain shelters some areas from the worst of the rain, so totals vary sharply over short distances across the Sound.
Reading the map for Seattle
Seattle's weather almost always arrives from the west and southwest, off the Pacific. The satellite view is especially useful here: it lets you see an incoming front or atmospheric river far out over the ocean, long before the radar picks up its rain. When radar shows only a faint, even wash, that is classic marine-layer drizzle, not a malfunction.
Stay ahead of Pacific storms
Lean on satellite to track systems approaching across open water, and switch to radar as the rain moves onshore to see where it is heaviest. Defer to the National Weather Service in Seattle for flood and wind warnings during strong atmospheric-river events.
Open the live map over Seattle to see current conditions.
Frequently asked questions
Does it really rain all the time in Seattle?
It rains often but rarely hard. Seattle's reputation comes from frequent light drizzle and grey marine-layer cloud, especially in the cool half of the year, rather than heavy downpours. On radar this often looks like a faint, widespread wash rather than bright storm cells.
What is an atmospheric river?
An atmospheric river is a long, narrow ribbon of moisture streaming in from the Pacific, sometimes called a 'Pineapple Express' when it tracks up from near Hawaii. These events deliver Seattle's heaviest rain and mountain snow, and can drive flooding — watch for a firehose of cloud aimed at the coast on satellite.
SEE IT LIVE
Everything in this guide is on one real-time map.