November is when Seattle becomes the city of its reputation. The rain is real. Expect 172mm of precipitation across 17 rainy days, with highs around 10°C (51°F) and lows near 6°C (42°F). The sun sets before 4:30 PM by mid-month, and daylight feels like something you used to have more of. The grey is relentless. Not dramatic storm-grey, not cinematic fog. More like someone draped a damp wool blanket over the sky on November 1st and forgot to take it off. That said, this is the Seattle that locals actually live in 8 months of the year, and there's something honest about seeing it this way.
To be fair, November has genuine advantages if you're the right kind of traveler. Hotel rates drop to some of the lowest of the year. The summer crowds that clog Pike Place Market thin out considerably. You can walk into restaurants in Capitol Hill and Ballard that had 90-minute waits in August. The coffee culture feels more purposeful when it's 7°C and drizzling outside. Seattle's indoor life, its museums, bookshops, breweries, and concert halls, tends to come alive when the weather pushes everyone indoors.
November also sits at an interesting pivot point. Early November still holds traces of fall color in the parks, while late November tips into the holiday season. The Seattle Marathon draws a few thousand runners on Thanksgiving weekend. Winterfest opens at Seattle Center. It's not a month that will sell itself to you, but if you arrive knowing what to expect, the city rewards patience with its quieter, more local-feeling side.
Why visit in November
- Hotel rates drop significantly compared to summer peak, often 30-40% below July and August levels. November is one of the cheapest months to book a room in the city.
- Crowds at major attractions like Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, and Chihuly Garden and Glass shrink noticeably. Weekday visits feel almost private.
- Seattle's indoor culture peaks in winter. The city has more live music venues, craft breweries, and independent bookshops per capita than most US cities, and November is when locals actually use them.
- The Earshot Jazz Festival, one of the longest-running jazz festivals in the Pacific Northwest, wraps up in early November with shows across Capitol Hill and Pioneer Square.
- Late-season wild mushrooms, particularly chanterelles and hedgehogs from the Olympic Peninsula, still appear at the farmers markets and on restaurant menus through mid-November.
Worth knowing
- 172mm of rain across 17 days. This is not tropical downpour-then-sunshine rain. It's persistent, low-level drizzle that can last from morning to night, day after day. You will be damp.
- Daylight drops to roughly 9 hours by month's end. The sun rises after 7 AM and sets before 4:30 PM, and on overcast days, it never fully feels like daytime. Seasonal affective disorder is not a joke here.
- Outdoor attractions lose most of their appeal. The views from Kerry Park and Discovery Park depend on clear skies, and you might visit 3 or 4 times before getting one. The San Juan Islands ferries run reduced schedules.
- Mountain passes to popular day trips like Leavenworth and Mount Rainier can close unpredictably due to early snow and ice. Stevens Pass and Snoqualmie Pass both see their first significant snowfall in November.
Best for
Think twice if
November in Seattle is cool, wet, and dark. The city averages 10.3°C (51°F) for a high and 5.5°C (42°F) for a low, with 172mm of rainfall spread across 17 rainy days. Humidity sits around 84%, and it tends to feel damper than the temperature suggests because the moisture never fully evaporates between rain events. The rain is typically light but constant. Genuine downpours happen maybe 3-4 days per month, often when an atmospheric river pushes in from the Pacific. Wind picks up noticeably compared to summer, particularly near the waterfront and on exposed hilltops like Queen Anne. Frost is possible by late November but uncommon in the city proper. The mountains visible from Seattle on clear days, the Cascades to the east and the Olympics to the west, carry fresh snow by mid-month.
Seasonal caution
- Atmospheric rivers, sometimes called the Pineapple Express, can bring 50-75mm of rain in a single 24-hour period during November. These events occasionally cause localized flooding in low-lying areas near the Duwamish River and in parts of South Seattle.
- Windstorms occasionally knock out power in neighborhoods with older overhead lines, particularly in North Seattle and around Green Lake. If you're staying in a vacation rental, check that the host has a plan for outages.
Year-round climate
Averages from the last 5 years.
| Month | Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | 3 | 171 |
| Feb | 8 | 2 | 109 |
| Mar | 11 | 4 | 98 |
| Apr | 13 | 6 | 73 |
| May | 17 | 9 | 56 |
| Jun | 21 | 12 | 48 |
| Jul | 25 | 15 | 7 |
| Aug | 25 | 15 | 31 |
| Sep | 21 | 13 | 50 |
| Oct | 15 | 9 | 111 |
| Nov | 10 | 6 | 172 |
| Dec | 8 | 4 | 201 |
Best things to do in November
Pike Place Market without the crowds
sightseeingPike Place Market in November feels like a different place from its summer self. The fishmongers still throw salmon, the flower stalls still overflow with dahlias and chrysanthemums, and the buskers still play under the iconic clock. But the foot traffic drops enough that you can actually stop and talk to vendors. The lower levels, where the vintage shops, comic stores, and spice traders hide, become browsable rather than claustrophobic.
Summer crowds thin by roughly half in November, making weekday mornings feel almost local.Booking tipGo before 10 AM on a Tuesday or Wednesday for the quietest experience. Most vendors are open by 9 AM.
Seattle Art Museum and First Thursday gallery walks
cultureSAM's permanent collection on 1st Avenue includes significant Northwest Coast Indigenous art and a strong Asian art wing. The first Thursday of each month, galleries across Pioneer Square open their doors for free evening walks. In November the rain keeps the casual browsers away, so you'll likely have longer conversations with gallery owners.
Rotating fall exhibitions tend to open in October and run through winter, so November catches them fresh.Booking tipSAM offers free admission on the first Thursday of each month. Pioneer Square galleries are always free on First Thursday evenings.
Brewery hopping in Ballard
food_and_drinkThe Ballard neighborhood north of the Ship Canal has around 15 craft breweries within a roughly 12-block stretch. November is when many release their winter seasonal beers, stouts, porters, and barleywines brewed for cold-weather drinking. The walk between breweries is short enough that the drizzle barely registers. Reuben's Brews, Stoup Brewing, and Obec Brewing are all within a few blocks of each other.
Winter seasonal releases start appearing on tap in early to mid-November across most Ballard breweries.Booking tipNo reservations needed at most taprooms on weekday evenings in November. Weekend afternoons can still get busy at the more popular spots.
Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)
cultureThe Frank Gehry-designed building at Seattle Center houses rotating exhibits on music, sci-fi, and pop culture history. November tends to see fewer school groups and tour buses. The Nirvana and Jimi Hendrix exhibits connect to Seattle's musical DNA, and the Sound Lab lets you pick up instruments and record in a booth. It's the kind of place where 2 hours turns into 4 without trying.
Off-season means shorter lines at interactive exhibits like the Sound Lab, which can have 30-minute waits in summer.Day trip to Woodinville wine country
food_and_drinkWoodinville sits about 30 minutes northeast of downtown Seattle and hosts over 100 tasting rooms. November is harvest wrap-up season, and many wineries release their new vintages around this time. The Warehouse District and Hollywood Hill clusters are walkable once you arrive. Washington state is the second-largest wine-producing state in the US, and Woodinville is where most Walla Walla and Columbia Valley wineries maintain their Seattle-area tasting rooms.
New vintage releases in November, plus significantly smaller crowds at tasting rooms compared to summer weekends.Booking tipSome tasting rooms require reservations on weekends even in off-season. Weekday visits rarely need them.
Live music at The Crocodile and Neumos
nightlifeThe Crocodile in Belltown has been a Seattle music institution since 1991, when Nirvana played there before Nevermind dropped. Neumos on Capitol Hill's Pike Street corridor books a mix of indie, electronic, and hip-hop acts. November's touring calendar tends to be packed because bands route through Seattle on fall West Coast runs. Both venues are small enough that you're never far from the stage.
Fall touring season fills the calendar, and November tends to land more mid-week shows from national touring acts passing through.Chihuly Garden and Glass
cultureDale Chihuly's permanent exhibition at Seattle Center sits right next to the Space Needle. The indoor galleries display massive glass sculptures in darkened rooms where the colors seem to glow from inside. The outdoor garden component is less appealing in November rain, but the interior Glasshouse, a 40-foot-tall steel and glass structure filled with a suspended red and orange sculpture, is at its moodiest when rain drums on the ceiling panels.
Overcast skies and rain create different light conditions inside the Glasshouse than summer sun, and ticket lines shrink to nearly zero on weekdays.What to eat in November
On menus now
Pacific Northwest oysters
Cold-water months bring Puget Sound oysters to peak brininess. Varieties like Shigoku, Kumamoto, and Penn Cove appear on raw bars across Ballard and Capitol Hill. Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar stays busy even in off-season.
Clam chowder
Seattle's chowder culture peaks in November when the damp chill makes a bowl of thick, cream-based chowder feel like medicine. Pike Place Chowder near the market has won enough awards to wallpaper a small room, but Ballard and West Seattle have their own loyalists. The texture here tends toward chunky New England style, heavy on the cream and potato.
What to drink
Apple cider
Washington state grows more apples than any other state in the US, and November is when fresh-pressed cider from Yakima Valley and Wenatchee orchards floods the farmers markets. Hot spiced cider shows up at coffee shops across the city as the temperature drops.
In markets
Wild chanterelle mushrooms
The tail end of chanterelle season runs through mid-November, with golden and white chanterelles arriving from the Olympic Peninsula and Cascade foothills. You'll find them at the Ballard Farmers Market on Sundays and on tasting menus citywide.
Dungeness crab
The commercial Dungeness season typically opens in early December, but November sees the first pre-season catches at some restaurants and markets. The meat is sweet, firm, and best eaten cracked at a table covered in newspaper. Restaurants along the waterfront near Pier 57 tend to get early supply.
Regular events in November
Winterfest at Seattle Center
Seattle Center's annual holiday festival opens in late November with an ice rink, holiday market, and daily performances under the Space Needle. The rink stays open through January.
Late November through early JanuarySeattle Marathon
One of the Pacific Northwest's largest marathons runs through downtown, along Lake Washington Boulevard, and finishes near Memorial Stadium. Around 10,000 runners participate across the full and half marathon distances.
Thanksgiving weekend (last Sunday of November)Earshot Jazz Festival (final week)
The Earshot Jazz Festival runs from mid-October through early November, with its final performances typically landing in the first week of November. Shows happen at venues across Capitol Hill and Pioneer Square, including the Royal Room and the Triple Door.
First week of NovemberFiggy Pudding Caroling CompetitionFree
Teams in costumes compete in a holiday caroling contest through the streets of downtown Seattle near Westlake Center. The event raises funds for the Pike Market Senior Center and Food Bank. It typically draws around 1,000 singers.
Late November or early DecemberUniversity District Farmers MarketFree
The year-round Saturday market at the University Heights Center continues through November with late-season produce, winter squash, root vegetables, and baked goods from local farms. It's smaller than its summer peak but still draws steady crowds.
Every SaturdayBest places this November
Pike Place Market
marketSeattle's 1907 public market feels more authentic in November. The lower levels, including the Gum Wall, magic shops, and vintage poster dealers, are accessible without the summer crush. The original Starbucks at 1912 Pike Place still draws a line, but it moves fast.
DowntownKerry Park
viewpointThe postcard viewpoint on Queen Anne Hill gives you the Space Needle with Mount Rainier behind it, if Rainier decides to show itself. November odds for a clear view might be 1 in 4, but when it happens the fresh snow on the mountain makes it worth the wait.
Queen AnneElliott Bay Book Company
bookshopOne of the largest independent bookshops on the West Coast, now located on Capitol Hill's 10th Avenue. The reading calendar stays active through November with author events most evenings. The kind of place where the worn wooden floors creak and you lose track of time in the poetry section.
Capitol HillMuseum of Flight
museumLocated south of downtown near Boeing Field, this is the largest private air and space museum in the world. The collection includes a Concorde, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and a NASA full fuselage trainer. November crowds are minimal, and you can spend a full day here without seeing everything.
South SeattleDiscovery Park
parkSeattle's largest park covers 534 acres on the Magnolia bluff overlooking Puget Sound. The 2.8-mile Loop Trail passes through forest, meadows, and beach. November rains turn the forest trails muddy but also intensely green, with the smell of wet cedar and sword ferns thick in the air. The West Point Lighthouse at the beach is worth the downhill walk.
MagnoliaFremont neighborhood
neighborhoodThe self-proclaimed 'Center of the Universe' north of the Ship Canal has the Fremont Troll sculpture under the Aurora Bridge, a Lenin statue, and a cluster of small restaurants and vintage shops. It's walkable in about 2 hours even at a slow pace. The Sunday Fremont Market runs through November, though with fewer vendors than summer.
FremontThe Spheres at Amazon HQ
attractionAmazon's glass conservatory domes in the South Lake Union campus house over 40,000 plants from cloud forest ecosystems around the world. Free public tours are available on select Saturdays but require advance booking through the Amazon website. Inside, the air is warm and humid, which feels particularly welcome after a damp November walk.
South Lake Union
Your packing checklist
Tick items off as you pack. Your progress saves in this browser.
Insider tips
The Link Light Rail runs from SEA-TAC airport to downtown and Capitol Hill for a flat fare, and the ride takes about 40 minutes. It's faster and cheaper than rideshares during rush hour, and you avoid the I-5 traffic that can double your drive time.
Seattle's neighborhood coffee roasters, places like Elm Coffee Roasters in Pioneer Square, Slate Coffee Roasters on 12th Avenue, and Victrola on Capitol Hill, are where locals actually drink coffee. The original Starbucks at Pike Place is a tourist stop, not a coffee destination.
The waterfront between Pier 62 and Pier 57 is currently mid-renovation as part of a multi-year project to replace the demolished Alaskan Way Viaduct. Parts of it are walkable, but expect construction barriers and detours. Check current conditions before planning a waterfront walk.
King County Metro buses are the best way to move between neighborhoods. The RapidRide lines (lettered routes like C, D, and E) run frequently and cover most tourist-relevant areas. Google Maps transit directions work well here.
If you get one clear day in November, drop everything and go to Kerry Park or the Bainbridge Island ferry. Clear-sky days are rare and the views are striking with fresh snow on the Cascades and Olympics.
Avoid these mistakes
- Booking outdoor-focused activities on specific days. With only 4-5 clear days in a typical November, any fixed outdoor plan has roughly a 70% chance of being rained out. Keep outdoor activities flexible and fill rainy days with museums, markets, and breweries.
- Underpacking rain gear. The drizzle looks mild, but 8 hours of it soaks through any non-waterproof jacket. November rain is a penetrating mist that defeats cotton and light synthetics by mid-afternoon.
- Expecting the full Pike Place Market experience before 9 AM or after 5 PM. Many vendors and the fish market keep shorter hours in off-season. The Atrium Kitchen shops and restaurants stay open later, but the produce stalls and craft vendors close early.
- Driving to Capitol Hill or Ballard for nightlife. Parking in both neighborhoods is difficult even in off-season. The Link Light Rail serves Capitol Hill directly, and rideshares to Ballard run about 15 minutes from downtown.
- Planning a Mount Rainier day trip without checking road conditions. Highway 706 to Paradise can close with little notice due to snow and ice in November. The National Park Service posts road status updates online, and checking the morning of your trip is worth the 2 minutes.
Practical tips for November
Book accommodations in Capitol Hill or Ballard if you want walkable access to restaurants, bars, and coffee shops without relying on transit or rideshares after dark. Both neighborhoods have dense clusters of indoor-focused businesses within a 10-15 minute walking radius. Downtown hotels are closer to Pike Place Market and the waterfront attractions, but the surrounding blocks feel quieter at night in November. Bring a portable phone charger, as short daylight hours mean heavier phone use for maps and transit apps. Seattle's tap water comes from the Tolt and Cedar River watersheds in the Cascades, so bring a reusable bottle and skip buying bottled water. November sunsets happen before 4:30 PM, which means evening plans start earlier than you might expect. Many restaurants shift to earlier dinner seatings, with peak time between 6 and 7:30 PM rather than the 7:30-9 PM window common in summer.
FAQ
Is November a good time to visit Seattle?
November is a fair time to visit if you're comfortable with rain and short days. The trade-off is genuine. Hotel rates and flight costs drop to near their annual lows, crowds at Pike Place Market and other major attractions thin out considerably, and Seattle's indoor culture, its music venues, breweries, bookshops, and museums, hits its stride. But you'll deal with 172mm of rain across 17 days, sunsets before 4:30 PM, and overcast skies on most days. It's a good month for budget-conscious travelers who prioritize food, music, and urban culture over outdoor scenery.
What is the weather like in Seattle in November?
Cool, wet, and grey. Highs average around 10°C (51°F) and lows around 5.5°C (42°F). Rain falls on roughly 17 of 30 days, usually as a light, persistent drizzle rather than heavy downpours. Humidity sits around 84%. Daylight shrinks to about 9 hours by month's end, with sunrise after 7 AM and sunset before 4:30 PM. Wind picks up compared to summer, particularly along the waterfront. Occasional atmospheric river events can dump 50-75mm in a single day.
What should I pack for Seattle in November?
A waterproof shell jacket and waterproof shoes are the two non-negotiables. Layer a fleece or light down jacket underneath for warmth. Pack wool or synthetic socks, as cotton socks in wet shoes lead to blisters. Bring a warm hat and gloves for evenings when temps drop toward 5°C. An umbrella is useful during heavier rain spells, though many locals go without. A small daypack for carrying shed layers is helpful, since you'll move between heated interiors and cold, damp streets throughout the day.
Can you see Mount Rainier from Seattle in November?
You can, but only on clear days, and November has roughly 4-5 of those. Mount Rainier is visible from Kerry Park on Queen Anne Hill, the I-90 floating bridge, and several spots along the waterfront. When it does appear in November, the fresh snowpack on the 4,392-meter peak tends to look more dramatic than in summer. If a clear day happens during your visit, prioritize outdoor viewpoints. The mountain has a habit of hiding for a week at a time behind cloud cover.
Is Pike Place Market open in November?
Pike Place Market is open year-round. Most vendors and the fish market operate from about 9 AM to 5 PM, with some restaurants and shops keeping slightly longer hours. The market is less crowded in November than in summer, which makes it easier to browse the lower levels and talk to vendors. The Thanksgiving week can see a bump in local shoppers buying holiday ingredients, but it still doesn't approach summer crowd levels.
Are there any festivals or events in Seattle in November?
November has a few notable events. The Earshot Jazz Festival wraps up its run in early November with shows across Capitol Hill and Pioneer Square. The Seattle Marathon takes place on Thanksgiving weekend and draws around 10,000 runners. Winterfest opens at Seattle Center in late November with an ice rink and holiday market. The Figgy Pudding Caroling Competition fills downtown with costumed singing teams near the end of the month. It's not a blockbuster events month, but the calendar stays active.
Things to Do in Seattle in November
Free cancellation Chef Guided Food Tour of Pike Place Market
City tour — 2 hours, free cancellation.
via Viator
Free cancellation Mt. Rainier National Park Highlights Tour
Outdoor experience — free cancellation.
via Viator
Free cancellation Seattle City Highlights Tour
City tour — 3 hours, free cancellation.
via Viator
Free cancellation Seattle's Original Guided Harbor Cruise
Cruise — 1 hour, free cancellation.
via Viator
Free cancellation Mt. Rainier Day Tour from Seattle
Day trip — free cancellation.
via Viator
Free cancellation Seattle City and Snoqualmie Falls Half-Day Guided Tour
Outdoor experience — 4 hours, free cancellation.
via ViatorLast verified by automated review (v1.7.2) on June 19, 2026. What is automated review?