Wondering what sort of weather we could expect to encounter....? Thanks!

My husband and his friend sailed last April (just after the rainy season we were told) that doesn't exactly answer your question ...sorry.

Weather in the San Juans can vary any time of the year, just like it does in the rest of Western Washington. We've been there during the spring and had awesome, warm weather, as well as cold, rainy weather. It can be a little more moderate in the islands than on the mainland, which is good for vacationing.

Odds are that you will have nice weather, in the 60s or 70s during the day, 50s or 60s at night. Late March is part of the transition from the rainy season to the drier season - if you are there for a week, expect rain on at least 2 of those days. On the plus side, most tourists haven't arrived yet.

I just got back from the San Quans and once again am reminded of how absolutely beautiful this area is! I was on Shaw visiting my daughter's Environmental Science class and learned that Shaw is in what I believe is called a "rain shadow", so it gets less rainfall than some of the other islands (which was obvious from the vegetation). So, if it's raining where you are and you want to get away from it, you might consider a daytrip to Shaw. There are no hotels, restaurants, or B&Bs there, but it's incredibly beautiful--I must have seen over 30 deer as well as eagles. It's just a few minute ferry ride from Orcas.

ALF - You must be talking about a different set of San Juan Islands! The ones here in Washington State are unlikely to be in the 60's or 70's in late March - more like the mid-50's. Average high in the area does not get above 60 until around the beginning of May.

While it's true that the islands are in the Olympic "rain shadow", and are therefor a bit more likely to have sun, they'll not be that much warmer than the rest of western Washington.

Ken