Sunny Washington?

Well, sort of. Central Washington is home to the sunniest cities in the state with Ellensburg on top at 204 sunny days per year on average. The home of Central Washington State University, my son's alma matter is the only city in Washington to yield over 200 sun shiny days per year. Yakima, Walla, and the Tri-Cities round out the top six spots averaging roughly 185-195 days per year with the flaming orb dominating skies. These cities east of the mighty Cascades charge a bit of a fee for this sunnyliciousness. Winters are a bit colder and in Ellensburg they can be downright frigid. The best compromise is the Trip-Cities and Walla Walla which are a bit hot in the summer but not as bitter cold in the winter.

On the western side of the state it is slim Pickens with just two locations in the top ten. Friday Harbor and Sequim. These two will give you almost half your days on the sunny side of life and offer mild temperatures all year long. Both of these towns are sheltered from heavy Pacific storms by the rain shadow effect created from the leeward side of the Olympic Mountains.

So who says you can't have sunny days in Washington state? If you want a great four season climate with about as much sunshine as you'll find in 90% of the country, Ellensburg is your best bet in the Evergreen State.