Film production in Seattle
Between June and December, usable daylight in Seattle moves by 7h 31min — from 15h 58min down to 8h 27min. An exterior day in December is a different day from one in June. This page carries sunrise, sunset and golden-hour times for all twelve months, the climate profile.
Light and shooting hours
On 15 June, the sun in Seattle rises at 05:12 and sets at 21:10; the evening golden hour starts at 20:21 and runs for 48 minutes. By December that shifts to 07:52–16:19, with a 53-minute golden-hour window from 15:26.
In practice, a spread of 7h 31min means a schedule that works here in summer does not work in winter at the same location — with the same setup count, the hours simply are not there.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Golden hour (evening, from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 07:53 | 16:45 | 8h 52min | 15:55 |
| February | 07:16 | 17:33 | 10h 17min | 16:49 |
| March | 07:23 | 19:15 | 11h 52min | 18:34 |
| April | 06:21 | 19:59 | 13h 38min | 19:17 |
| May | 05:33 | 20:40 | 15h 08min | 19:55 |
| June | 05:12 | 21:10 | 15h 58min | 20:21 |
| July | 05:28 | 21:04 | 15h 36min | 20:17 |
| August | 06:06 | 20:23 | 14h 17min | 19:41 |
| September | 06:48 | 19:23 | 12h 36min | 18:43 |
| October | 07:29 | 18:23 | 10h 54min | 17:41 |
| November | 07:15 | 16:34 | 9h 19min | 15:47 |
| December | 07:52 | 16:19 | 8h 27min | 15:26 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Seattle starts at 21:34 in June and ends at 21:50 — a window of 16 minutes. In December it is 14 minutes from 16:41. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (19:15) and September (19:23) there are 8 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Seattle averages 19 rain days in December and 4 in July. A three-day exterior shoot in December statistically loses 1.9 days — not a forecast, but the basis for deciding whether a cover set belongs in the budget.
| Month | Mean temperature | Rain days | Sunshine hours/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5.2 °C | 18 | 4.1 |
| February | 5.2 °C | 15 | 5.0 |
| March | 7.0 °C | 15 | 7.4 |
| April | 9.5 °C | 15 | 9.1 |
| May | 13.3 °C | 10 | 10.1 |
| June | 16.3 °C | 9 | 11.7 |
| July | 19.2 °C | 4 | 12.7 |
| August | 19.5 °C | 5 | 11.6 |
| September | 16.1 °C | 9 | 9.3 |
| October | 11.7 °C | 15 | 6.5 |
| November | 7.6 °C | 17 | 4.7 |
| December | 5.1 °C | 19 | 3.6 |
Planning a shoot here
A schedule that ignores these numbers looks fine on paper and falls over on the day. TillyGen folds sun position, travel and crew availability straight into the schedule — if the exterior no longer fits before sunset in December, the plan says so, not the wrap report.
Frequently asked
When is golden hour in Seattle?
In June it starts at 20:21 and lasts 48 minutes; in December it starts at 15:26 and lasts 53 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Seattle get?
Between 8h 27min in December and 15h 58min in June. The 7h 31min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Seattle?
Combining daylight and rain days, July comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. June has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.