Port Angeles is located in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, which means the city gets significantly less rain than other areas of western Washington. The average annual precipitation total is approximately , compared to Seattle's . Temperatures are moderated by the maritime location, with winter lows rarely below and summer highs rarely above . However, in the winter, the city can be vulnerable to windstorms and Arctic cold fronts that sweep across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Port Angeles receives about of snow each year, but it rarely stays on the ground for long.