I'm thinking about going back to Seattle in May. I'm a part time college student so summer school is a must if I want to graduate within the next decade. so May is the only time I could go on vacation. I'm from GA and I'm pretty cold natured. Anytime I'm up north unless there's a heatwave I'm shivering. I was even shivering at night in California. I was there a couple of years ago in August (absolutely gourgous none of the infamous Seattle rain) and I needed a jackat at night. But in the day I was fine and went kayaking. I plan to spend more time outdoors I want to kayak again, do some whitewater rafting, a little hiking (no camping just for the afternoon) at Mt Rainier and I read there were some caves near Mt St Helens that might be worth checking out. Will it be warm enough? I've seen the major sights of Seattle but I guess I'll talk about that in a another post. Also is May a dryer month in Seattle? I was there for a week last time and didn't cloud one. Also any other outdoor activities to consider?

If you are thin-blooded, you will definitely find May cool. Average highs are only in the mid-60's and average lows still in the mid-upper 40's. There will still be lots of snow at higher elevations. In addition, typically, May tends to be a little wet still so showers and/or rain and/or gloomy skies is to be expected.

Now, having made that disclaimer, I have to add that May is perhaps the prettiest month around here in regards to flowers etc. It's the height of the blooming season. Daff's are still showing and tulips are in full bloom. Some of the flowering trees are out and the leaves of almost all the trees are at their brightest shade of green (multiple shades of greeen actually). All in all, absolutely gorgeous in that regard - especially as we usually get at least some, very nice (by our standards) bright and sunny days.

Ken

Couldn't agree more! I used to live in Seattle. The rain & clouds didn't bother me until around May & June. I was really ready for some "summer" weather....and it just doesn't come until July.

Get a great gortex jacket with a zip out liner and make sure it's wind proof. Viola! You are ready for any Seattle weather

Thanks for the tip. It sounds like if I go I should do the kayaking and whitewater rafting for another time. I dont' need to go to Washington for whitewater rafting. I can do that in the South. I was thinking of whale watching, a day trip to Vancouver, still hiking at Mt Rainier. Go to Paradise and make a snowman. That's what I did last time in August.Does anyone have any other good outdoor activities for May?

If you haven't driven outside of Seattle you may want to head out to Snoqualmie and do the easy hike down to the falls.

Or a longer drive to Leavenworth which is a great little German town. The drive out there is spectacular with the peaks of the Cascades.

Actually May (maximum snowmelt) is a great time for rafting, especially on the east side of the Cascades. There's fine whitewater sport on the Yakima and Wenatchee Rivers, and if you overnight on that side of the mountains, in May you'll probably get some wonderful, warm weather - 80s not that uncommon. It's also beautiful over there in the spring - green meadows, snowy mountain vistas, fruit orchards in bloom (Wenatchee is in the middle of orchard country - Washington apples and all that.)

But then again, I've always felt that the best thing about Seattle was its proximity to Vancouver. Not that Seattle doesn't have some really nice attractions but as I said 'the best thing about Seatle is....' So a side trip to Vancouver is a good choice.

Sometimes May can be beautiful in warm, even in the 80's, but it is definitely not as reliably warm as August. The other posters are correct that the Eastern side of the state is much warmer; almost always in the 80's and even 90's by May. I think May is an excellent time to visit because it is not too crowded and everything is blooming but still green. Check the average weather temps at yahoo weather.com for your dates. (We've lived in this area for over 20 years off and on.)

I think the caves you are talking about are the ape caves by Mt. St. Helens. They are long lava tubes. It is a very cool thing to hike though and the scenery on the way there is beautiful. Here is a web site: http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/...framework.html
This will give more info - I don't know the hours when they are open but it would be worth checking into.