San Francisco saw more rain than Seattle this year, thanks to El Niño
San Francisco has been giving Seattle a run for its money on the precipitation front. Since Jan. 1, nearly 18 inches of rain has accumulated in San Francisco. Meanwhile, Seattle sits at just 13 inches. This year is unusual. San Francisco has been rainier than Seattle in just 16 of the past 50 years through mid-April. In a normal year, San Francisco trails Seattle by about 2.5 inches of precipitation on April 14. Annually, Seattle averages 16.5 inches more rainfall than San Francisco and may still surpass San Francisco this year. While 2024’s rainfall may seem topsy-turvy, it fits expectations with El Niño, a global climate pattern that has its biggest influence on West Coast storms from January through April.