Seattle - Coldest Decades

The coldest decades on record are ranked here for Seattle, Washington. The lists include decades when Seattle had the lowest average temperatures, the fewest hot days and the most cold days. These extremes are for temperatures observed at Seattle—Tacoma International Airport and cover seven decades, from the 1950s to the 2010s.

That is when Seattle had weather measurements that are consistent and complete enough to compare decades. Each decade comprises a standard 10-year range. For instance, the 1990s includes measurements from Jan 1, 1990 to Dec 31, 1999. Links to the data behind these lists are in the References section on this page.

Coolest High Temperatures

Average daily maximum temperature at Seattle
High °F Decade High °C
Lowest 58.1 1950s 14.5
Runner-up 59.2 1960s 15.1

Coldest Low Temperatures

Average daily minimum temperature at Seattle
Low °F Decade Low °C
Lowest 42.4 1950s 5.8
Runner-up 44.3 1960s 6.8

Fewest Warm Days

Total days per year on average when Seattle had temperatures of at least 70 °F (21 °C)
Days Decade
Lowest 75 1950s
Runner-up 83 1960s

Fewest Hot Days

Total days per year on average when Seattle had temperatures of at least 90 °F (32 °C)
Days Decade
Lowest 2 1950s
Runner-up 3 2000s, 1990s, 1980s, 1960s

Most Freezing Days

Total days per year on average when Seattle had temperatures of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower
Days Decade
Highest 48 1950s
Runner-up 32 1960s
References

Current Results. 2020. Seattle WA Temperature Averages by Decade

Jay Lawrimore, Ron Ray, Scott Applequist, Bryant Korzeniewski, Matthew Menne. 2016. Global Summary of the Year, Version 1.0. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

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