The climate in
Washington varies across the state from east to west, and the state is divided both geographically and climatically by the Cascade Mountain range. The western part of Washington tends to be mild and humid, and is one of the world's rainiest areas, while the eastern region is cooler and drier with a more continental type of climate, experiencing hot summers and cold winters. Western Washington often experiences heavy cloud cover, fog and drizzle, and although summers tend to be sunny, they are milder than in the east. In the western area, average temperatures in summer can range from
44°F (7°C) on the slope of the Western
Cascade Mountains (which experience some of the heaviest snowfall in the
US) to 80°F (27°C) in the foothills, while winter temperatures range from 20°F (-7°C) on the western slopes of the Cascades to 48°F (9°C) along the Pacific coast. The average temperatures in Eastern Washington are more extreme, with summer temperatures ranging from a cool 48°F (9°C) on slope of the Eastern Cascades to 92°F (33°C) in the south-central part of the state and winter temperatures range from 8°F (-13°C) in the northeastern Cascades to 40°F (4°C) on the southeastern plateau. Rainfall in
Seattle is usually heaviest from October to March.
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