Seattle is a mere 90 miles south of Bellingham. It sits in a very similar location and is affected by the same topography as well as the same fronts and air masses.
To the east of both locations is the large mountain range of the Cascades. Maritime Polar air masses come from the north Pacific and create large amounts of precipitation caused by the orographic uplift of the Cascade Mountains. Both locations are affected by these weather events. Very rarely are either city affected by Polar Continental air masses because the Cascades create a wall to the east. The amount of annual precipitation is very similar as well as the average temperatures. Both Seattle and Bellingham are affected by the Pineapple Express which is an event that brings heavy precipitaion to northwestern Washington caused by the mixing of the Polar Jet Stream and the Tropical Jet Stream.
Precipitation Comparison: Seattle (top) vs. Bellingham (bottom)
http://www.pae-engineers.com/sustainable-design/strategies-techniques/SDC-climate-considerations.php
Average Precipitation- Bellingham
Above show the yearly precipitation averages for all of Washington. Seattle and Bellingham are very similar. Seattle looks like it gets slightly more precipitation than Bellingham. This is most likely because Seattle is affected by the Puget Sound Convergence Zone that blow off the Olympic Mountains. This causes an increase in precipitation in Seattle. In Bellingham, the same phenomena occur but Bellingham is too north so all that it receives is increased winds from the funnel that is the Straight of Juan de Fuca just north of the Olympic Mountains.
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