February is the turn. The mountains are still buried in snow while the first snowdrops push up on the west side, crab lands on every coastal menu, and the wineries throw open their doors for red wine and chocolate. It is the quietest month to have Washington mostly to yourself.
February is the shortest month and the one that keeps you guessing. The mountains are still deep in winter, holding the snow that piled up through January, while down in the lowlands the first snowdrops and crocus push through the cold ground and the light stretches noticeably longer by the end of the month. It is a month of two seasons at once, and the trick is to take both: a powder morning up high, a walk past the first blooms in the afternoon, and crab for dinner.
It is also Washington’s coziest month to eat and drink well. The Dungeness crab is at its winter best, heaped on ice at the markets and steaming on plates from Port Townsend to Hood Canal. Over the long Presidents weekend the wine country throws its biggest party of the cold season, when wineries across the Yakima Valley, Walla Walla, and Woodinville pour their reds alongside chocolate for the Red Wine and Chocolate weekend. Add Seattle’s Lunar New Year and the Northwest Flower and Garden Festival, and February gives you plenty of reasons to come inside and warm up.
Out on the water the gray whales are still sliding past the coast, and the winter storms keep rolling into the headlands for anyone who loves a wild beach. The skiing is very much still on, often with the longest, sunniest days of the season and the famous Presidents weekend powder. February rewards travelers who do not wait for spring: the crowds are thin, the prices are low, and you get a Washington that is quietly tipping from one season into the next.
February is when Washington wine country throws its biggest cold season party. Over the long Presidents weekend, wineries across the Yakima Valley, Walla Walla, and Woodinville open their doors for Red Wine and Chocolate, pairing their best reds with truffles, ganache, and house made sweets. It is the perfect reason to point the car east, where the dry cold keeps the skies clear and the tasting rooms warm. Spend a day working through the Yakima Valley, the birthplace of Washington wine with more than ninety wineries, or settle into Walla Walla’s walkable downtown tasting district anchored by the Marcus Whitman. Bring a designated driver and an appetite.
Do not let the calendar fool you: February is still full winter in the Washington mountains, often with the deepest base of the season and longer, brighter days to enjoy it. Mount Baker, Crystal Mountain, Stevens Pass, the Summit at Snoqualmie, and White Pass are all running, and Presidents weekend is one of the busiest and best of the year. East of the crest, Mission Ridge catches the dry light powder above Wenatchee and Mount Spokane laces its slopes with downhill and Nordic trails. If you would rather not ride a lift, snowshoe toward Artist Point under Baker or kick and glide the Methow’s cross country network. Carry chains and check the avalanche and pass reports.
February is the coast at its most generous and least crowded. The Dungeness crab is at its winter best, heaped on ice at the markets and steaming on plates from Port Townsend to Hood Canal, where the cold clean water makes for some of the sweetest crab anywhere. Out past the breakers the gray whales are still sliding south, so the overlooks at Westport, Cape Flattery, and the Long Beach Peninsula give you a shot at a spout on the horizon. Between meals and whale scans there are huge empty beaches, winter storms for the storm watchers, and warm chowder houses. Dress for wind and rain, and keep well back from the surf.
Down at sea level February is where you first feel spring coming. The snowdrops and crocus push up in the gardens, the hellebores bloom, and by the end of the month the light stretches noticeably longer. When the rain rolls in, the cities give you plenty of reasons to stay warm: Seattle’s Lunar New Year fills the Chinatown International District with lion dances and food, and the Northwest Flower and Garden Festival packs the convention center with acres of spring gardens weeks before the real thing. Wander Pioneer Square, work through Pike Place, or warm up in a Woodinville tasting room. It is a soft, easy month that lets you go inside and out in the same day.
Wineries statewide pair their reds with chocolate for the cold season’s biggest wine event.
Acres of display gardens and seminars at the convention center, the Northwest’s first big taste of spring.
Lion dances, firecrackers, and food markets ring in the new year.
One of the biggest ski weekends of the season, with a deep base and longer days.
The last of the wintering bald eagles gather before they disperse for the spring.
Gray whales pass Westport, Cape Flattery, and the Long Beach Peninsula on their long migration.
Conditions
February hiking is still a winter sport up high and an early spring walk down low. The mountains stay deep in snow and avalanche terrain, while the lowland, coastal, and east side trails open up between storms with the first hints of green. Days are getting longer but the weather still swings fast, so check WTA and the avalanche and pass reports, and carry traction.
Highway 20 stays closed for winter; the high country is deep snow and avalanche terrain for experienced backcountry travel only.
Prime for skiing and snowshoeing; trails are buried and highways may require chains, with avalanche danger still high.
Hurricane Ridge is a weekend dependent winter snow zone; the lowland rainforest and coast trails stay open and green.
Paradise is excellent snowshoe and ski terrain when the road and gate are open; check hours and chain requirements.
Long Beach, Westport, and the southwest beaches are open for winter walks, whale scanning, and storm watching; mind the surf.
Nordic and snowshoe trails are in their prime, and valley and urban paths are walkable on the many clear cold days.
My pick for February is pointing the car east for Red Wine and Chocolate weekend. Over the long Presidents holiday the wineries of the Yakima Valley throw open their doors and pair their best reds with chocolate, and the whole valley feels like a warm, happy party in the middle of winter. I love it because the Yakima Valley is the birthplace of Washington wine, with more than ninety wineries spread across seventy miles of dry, sunny country, so you can build your own loop and never taste the same thing twice. Go with people you like, line up a designated driver, and take your time. Pair a big Yakima Valley red with a dark chocolate truffle on a cold clear February afternoon and tell me winter is something to wait out. Walla Walla and Woodinville run their own versions if you would rather stay closer to Seattle.
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Where to base depends on which February you are chasing: the snow, the wine, or the coast.
Base in the Yakima Valley or Walla Walla for Red Wine and Chocolate weekend, with tasting rooms, good food, and dry sunny cold just outside the door. The birthplace of Washington wine is at its coziest now.
Explore StaysA snowy Leavenworth trades the holiday crowds for quiet Bavarian streets, frozen waterfalls, and skiing and snowshoeing minutes away, an easy winter base on the way to or from wine country.
Explore StaysPost up on the coast for fresh Dungeness crab, gray whale scanning, and big empty storm washed beaches, with warm chowder houses and cabins for riding out the weather.
Explore StaysYes, if you like quiet and variety. February is one of the least crowded and most affordable months, with deep snow still in the mountains, the first signs of spring in the lowlands, Dungeness crab on the coast, and the wineries pouring for Red Wine and Chocolate. Pack layers and plan around the weather.
Cool and damp on the west side (low 40s to around 50) with lengthening light and the first blooms, and cold and dry on the east side and in the mountains (upper 20s to mid 40s). The passes still get heavy snow, and daylight grows from about nine and a half hours to eleven across the month.
The biggest are Red Wine and Chocolate weekend in wine country and the Northwest Flower and Garden Festival in Seattle, both around the Presidents holiday, plus Lunar New Year in Seattle’s Chinatown International District and a busy Presidents weekend at the ski resorts.
The parks are open but in full winter mode. Mount Rainier’s Paradise is a snowshoe and ski destination when the road and gate are open, the North Cascades Highway is closed for winter, and Olympic’s Hurricane Ridge runs weekend dependent winter access while the rainforest and coast stay open.
Yes, February is still prime ski season. Mount Baker, Crystal Mountain, Stevens Pass, the Summit at Snoqualmie, White Pass, and Mission Ridge are all running, often with the deepest base of the year and longer days. Presidents weekend is one of the busiest, so book ahead and carry chains.
It is an annual Presidents weekend tradition where wineries across the Yakima Valley, Walla Walla, Woodinville, and other regions pair their red wines with chocolate. It is the cold season’s signature wine event and a great reason to plan a February getaway to wine country.
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