Where Are Sunnier Parts Of Washington? (Seattle, Spokane: fit in, real estate, home)

[itsme2]

We're seroiusly considering relocation to Washington from Florida.

Are there some areas in the state that are generally more sunnier than others? Can anyone comment on where the sunnier parts of Washington state might be, especially around the water, either Puget Sound or lakes?

Do Gig Harbor and Olympia possibly fit into this category?

Thank you.

[Brutal Attack]

Originally Posted by itsme2

We're seroiusly considering relocation to Washington from Florida.

Are there some areas in the state that are generally more sunnier than others? Can anyone comment on where the sunnier parts of Washington state might be, especially around the water, either Puget Sound or lakes?

Do Gig Harbor and Olympia possibly fit into this category?

Thank you.

Anywhere East of the Cascades is sunny.

[the dufferz]

The San Juan Islands are considered by many as the most sunny of the Western Washington region, getting somewhere around 300 days of clearing or partial clearing per year from what I understand. But the reality is that you need to move to the east of the Cascades to get areas that are dry and sunny (cold in the winter though).

Check out Moses Lake (about 90 miles west of Spokane). It's pretty nice there.

[Mark S.]

Anywhere east of the Cascades is very sunny.

Originally Posted by itsme2

Do Gig Harbor and Olympia possibly fit into this category?

Nope. Gig Harbor is a very nice little town, but both GH and Olympia are very gray and wet most of the year.

Once the reconstruction of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge is finished, Gig Harbor is likely going to boom. If you're going to move there, do it soon. Real estate prices are already on the rise, and they're only going to go up and up.

[itsme2]

We're looking for the bset location in Washingtonwith the best balanced weather around the water (big lake or the sound). Still looking and would really appreciate ideas. I should probably start a new thread.

[RodFarlee]

In general, those areas that have less rain have more sun.
Here's an annual average precipitation map of Washington:
http://www.ocs.orst.edu/pub/maps/Precipitation/Total/States/WA/wa.gif (broken link)
It's dominated by the rain shadows of the Cascades and of the Olympics. Winters are milder and water more plentiful west of the Cascades, though.

The Olympic rain shadow is centered northeast of Sequim, extending across the Strait of Juan de Fuca towards Whitby and Lopez Islands. This area gets less than 20 inches of rain per year, compared to 45 in Seattle and 60 in Olympia. In the winter, when the wind is from the southwest (which is the prevailing direction, maybe half the time), this area clears in the afternoon. It has become a popular retirement area for those seeking the mildest climate in Washington. Towns nearest the center of this area are Sequim, Dungeness, Coupeville, Lopez, and Port Townsend. All of them have active marinas and state/county park beaches.

Realize it's not Florida... winters here have short days and it is cooler and much more often overcast. But it also lacks the humidity and hurricanes, and the summers are cool, dry and sunny. In east coast terms, we have Hilton Head winters and Bar Harbor summers.

Other areas you might wish to explore for best climate include the White Salmon WA, Hood River, Rogue River and Applegate OR valleys. These are in the rain shadows of the Cascades or Siskiyous.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by itsme2

Do Gig Harbor and Olympia possibly fit into this category?

Thank you.

No, except in the summer. In the winter, they are both rainy and cloudy. For sun, Eastern Washington, but you also get snow. The driest part of Western Washington is Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula. Here is a precip map:

http://www.ocs.orst.edu/pub/maps/Precipitation/Total/States/WA/wa.gif (broken link)

[WendyK]

Hi there - I actually moved to Spokane area from FLorida in 1998 and love it here! The weather is wonderful except for about 4 weeks in the winter when you're really ready for it to start warming up. The spring, summer and fall seasons are great and there are lots of lakes and rivers for boating and water sports in warmer months. And the lakes are CLEAR with no gators or snakes swimming around you! Home prices are very affordable - let me know if I can answer any more questions for you.

[itsme2]

Great onformation to digest although I'm out the door until next Thursday, wiil be back in touch then.

Thank you!

[jenuw]

Contrary to popular myth, washington is not very gray or wet from April-Oct. So anywhere in Western WA is sunny, but Eastern WA is much warmer and more predictible with the sun. However, Eastern WA winters are very cold and have a lot of snow, so coming from FL, that may be a shock. Western WA in the winter is where you get the myth that WA is gray and wet all the time, but it is just during the winter and spring months for the most part. But it also doesn't snow much on this side of the mts. So pick your poison.