Port Townsend Weather, Climate, Tides and Currents
Port Townsend weather has become more extreme in the past few years with lows in the teens and highs in the 70's. November through February have the coolest temps, sometimes below freezing, but not often. July through September are our warmest months, but also when morning fog begins. Daily wind speed can average 10 miles per hour with some days blowing over 30 mph. It is rare that we don't have some wind. Cool evenings anytime of year and we are affected by the maritime influence which keeps temps moderate.
Precipitation in the months of November through June average 2-3 inches and less than 1 inch per month in late summer. We do have many more sunny days than most of Western Washington, and it's not infrequent for us to have sunshine here while Seattle or Port Angeles have clouds and rain. (Bring a raincoat just in case). We sit in the Olympic Mountain "rainshadow" - it's what keeps Port Townsend and Sequim relatively dry.
Heavily influenced by its coastal location and the orographic (having to do with mountains and ranges) influence of the Olympic Mountains, East Jefferson County is fairly dry compared to the rest of the Olympic Peninsula. The proximity of the Olympic range to the Pacific Ocean creates moderate temperatures with few extremes. Port Townsend receives about 16-18 inches of rain per year.
Below is a precipitation map showing the relative rainfall in inches on the Olympic Peninsula. You can see why the western peninsula has a rainforest...
Below is a precipitation map for all of Washington State.
