Tourists Should Watch Out For The 'Seattle Freeze' (Which Has Nothing To Do With The Weather)

With saltwater, lakes, evergreens, and the rugged, snow-capped backdrop of the Olympic mountains, Seattle is a modern urban gem set amongst stunning natural surroundings. It's also one of the northernmost major cities in the contiguous U.S., which means long summer days and many hours of darkness in the winter. Even though it's up there, given its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, Seattle's weather is actually quite mild, with average winter temperatures hovering around 43 degrees. And while the city does see a lot of cloudy and drizzly days, it's nowhere near the rainiest place in the country. That said, when the skies do open up, don't reach for your umbrella if you don't want to stand out as a tourist.

Another thing visitors should be aware of is the supposed phenomenon known as the "Seattle Freeze." This is the notion that locals — while usually quite polite — can be slow to warm to outsiders, preferring instead to stick with their already established social circles. Whether this is actually a thing or not is up for debate, but the idea has been bandied about so much that it's created a lasting stereotype.

The term the "Seattle Freeze" was coined by journalist Julia Sommerfield in an article that appeared in the Seattle Times in 2005. A recent transplant at the time, she found the local reputation for niceness to be exaggerated, that many city residents were actually faking it instead of being genuinely warm.

"The contradictory experience of everyone here being so nice yet also a bit unfriendly was something I'd been grappling with personally," she said in an interview with Seattle Met. "People would say, 'Hey, let's get a coffee/a drink/do something sometime,' and I'd be, like, 'Oh sure, how about Thursday at 6,' and they'd look at me, stricken with horror, like I was a stalker. And that's when I realized that 'let's do something sometime' meant 'move along, please,'" she continued.

While there's no single explanation for what causes the "Seattle Freeze," it's likely a combination of factors. The phenomenon is named for the locals' frosty demeanor rather than the weather, but the fact that Seattle can be seen as a gloomy place with 226 cloudy days a year may lead to certain grumpiness among residents. Most of Seattle's original settlers also hailed from Nordic countries such as Sweden and Norway — places known for their taciturnity — which likely made its imprint on the city's culture. The recent influx of tech workers may also contribute to this tendency towards introversion, as that industry often attracts brainy people who may be less inclined towards social interaction –– but that too is a stereotype. To some, Seattle may be a town with no shortage of nice, but very shy, people.

Despite the fact that this idea of the "Seattle Freeze" has gained so much traction over the years, there are some who view it as a made-up construction. Travel writer and Seattle native Samantha O'Brochta writes for Lonely Planet, "At [6 a.m.], a barista in Seattle will say sweeter things to you while you're still fully waking up than anywhere else I've visited. Simply put, there's no such thing as the Seattle Freeze." 

Even if it does exist, experiencing the "Seattle Freeze" can certainly apply more to transplants rather than tourists. As a temporary visitor, you're not coming to the Emerald City to break into a new social network. You're there to enjoy the city's cool and quirky attractions — while also soaking up the deep local flavor. The fact that Seattleites can be, at times, standoffish, but will still greet you with a smile, hold the door open, and always say "thank you" and "please." Maybe this is all the warmth you'll need as a visitor. If Seattle's coolness has got you down, perhaps consider traveling to this gorgeous southern town which was recently rated the friendliest in the U.S..