Bellingham A Great Place to Live (Seattle, Vancouver: home, university, living in)

[Westrivers]

Hello, can anyone give me a good idea of what the weather is like in Bellingham? Is it gray and rainy November through May? I am curious how persistent the gloomy weather is. I am coming from a very sunny area and would like to get a feel for the monthly climate.

Also, how is it living in Bellingham? It sounds like there are a ton of outdoors things to do, but I get a little worried with the weather pattern. I was initially leaning towards a more sunny place like Colorado for relocation but fell in love with the diversity (i.e. ocean, mountains, river, lakes, greenery) that Bellingham has to offer. Any opinions on living in Bellingham vs somewhere like Colorado would be much appreciated as well.

[fluffydelusions]

I haven't ventured up that way yet since moving here but I read it is ranked as one of the gloomiest places to live. That said, I hear it is amazing in terms of outdoor activities and in general a great place if you aren't bothered by the weather.

[seagypsy59]

I think to only way to judge if you can live in a particular place is to visit during the worst time of year. The past two winters in Bellingham were less rainy than usual. In winter, the cloud cover seems lower. Many people find this oppressive. I don't mind it at all. Coming from hot, muggy NY summers, this is heaven. The summers are glorious. I think the average rainfall here is about 37 inches - same as Long Island area in NY. Lots of green year round. In any case, by March, many plants were already starting to bloom. Just layer your clothes, toss on a rain jacket and just go.

[perigee]

One thing to remember is that the clouds trap the heat, in winter there are cold snaps with no clouds and cold temperatures, though I guess if CO is in the running the cold must not bother you.

The big issues are the low clouds and short days that can mean you leave for work in the gloom, you come home, run errands, take out the garbage in the gloom or even in the dark. Only experience is going tell you if you can handle it.

There are lots of outdoor options, but if you are the type to stay home if it's raining or the trails are muddy, then Bellingham might not be the best choice.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by seagypsy59

I think to only way to judge if you can live in a particular place is to visit during the worst time of year. The past two winters in Bellingham were less rainy than usual. In winter, the cloud cover seems lower. Many people find this oppressive. I don't mind it at all. Coming from hot, muggy NY summers, this is heaven. The summers are glorious. I think the average rainfall here is about 37 inches - same as Long Island area in NY. Lots of green year round. In any case, by March, many plants were already starting to bloom. Just layer your clothes, toss on a rain jacket and just go.

This. OP, in CO you'd have very hot summers (90+ for at least a couple of months), and you'd also have deep winters, lots of snow. If you're a skier, I guess that wouldn't be a bad thing, but some people feel trapped indoors. In B'ham, the winters are milder, and so are the summers; you won't have to hide out indoors with the A/C for several months in the Northwest. So, if having gloomy fall/winter weather seems like a fair trade-off, than go for it. But the main thing, really, is as someone else mentioned; in winter, you go to work in the dark, and it's already dark by 5, when you come home.

The other thing I've noticed about the NW, is that people talk a lot about how great it is, because of easy access to nature and various outdoor activities. If that's what you like, then it's perfect for you. If, on the other hand, you like high-quality entertainment, nationally- and internationally-known music groups, jazz, and diversity in the arts, the NW wouldn't be for you. The presence of a good university is a plus, IMO; at least you could attend lectures on a variety of interesting topics.

[Thom52]

You will note that everyone keeps talking about how nice the Summer is in Bellingham.

Mostly overlooking winter.... Such as the COLD winds blasting down Fraser river valley from Canada, directly into the area. The last couple winters have been unusually mild in WA in general, including Bellingham, so people living there just the last couple years are to be used cautiously as a reference.

Historically Bellingham gets a lot more snow and ice than Seattle, days are even shorter in winter gloom with a more northern location, and its just a lot of darkness and gloom, other than those couple of amazing late spring and summer months.

Some people are OK with the lack of sunlight and the blasting cold damp wind, with the tradeoff of amazing nature opportunities and the summer.

Only you can decide if you can live with minimal sunlight for 7 months of the year.

[bartonizer]

This thread is kind of amusing. OP, as I've mentioned we moved from CO and lack of sunlight was our #1 concern prior to moving. Yes, I only moved here two years ago (though I lived in Bellevue for a few years as a very little kid and was here frequently as my dad lived in Kirkland from the mid 1970's-early 2000's) but I think some of the analysis from other posters, is a little bit overdramatic, especially coming from other people around the region. Bham is further north, but actually gets substantially less rain than the south side of the sound- 35 inches/yr vs. 50 inches/yr in Olympia, for example. And because we're closer to mountains and more open water, the weather seems more variable. We often have rainy days that end with sunshine and/or crazy sunsets, for example- weather that doesn't show up as a "sunny" day, but doesn't IMHO actually feel as socked in as some other places in the region. Today is a good example.

As for the winter weather, again I wouldn't plan my life around a once in an every couple year winter weather phenomenon like the Fraser River Outflow. The average annual snowfall and temperature varies very little between any of the cities from Olympia to Vancouver BC, with Bellingham right in the middle, though at times we can get a little bit more wind.

The bottom line is that either the climate in the main cities west of the Cascades in WA (or OR) will either work with you or it won't. At this latitude, the days are shorter, and in this part of the country the moderating effect of the Pacific means that there is often cloud cover and sometimes rain throughout the region, but it also means there aren't generally extreme temperatures. I'm not sugar coating the fact that there's gray weather, but I have to say that Bellingham is not an anomaly to the area, climatologically speaking. The differences between cities in the Puget Sound/Salish Sea region are far less noticeable than the differences between this side of the Cascades and the dry side. Here's an informative post I recently saw from another poster on the topic: https://www.city-data.com/forum/44878568-post3.html.

Ultimately it really all depends on your tolerance for this type of climate. As Thom52 has mentioned in another thread, SAD is a thing and can affect people, though plenty of people live in Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, and even Anchorage and do just fine. My wife and I have quickly grown to love it, and as I've mentioned, I think it's less depressing than places where all the leaves fall on the ground and the trees are bare, as it stays very green here throughout that time. It often feels like autumn, at points, throughout the year- which we don't mind as it's our favorite season. You do have to embrace the blues and greens and be prepared to do things while damp or raining from time to time. It doesn't stop people here, as evidenced by all the people I see riding bikes and on trails on wet days. But it's not for everyone....

[Seacove]

Originally Posted by perigee

One thing to remember is that the clouds trap the heat, in winter there are cold snaps with no clouds and cold temperatures

This is key. I love winters in the PNW because the temperatures are moderate. When we go through weeks where the sky is clear and sunny, it gets cold and sometimes very cold. Those are the miserable weeks to me. A typical winter day in the PNW is overcast, some mist and temps around 45 which is very comfortable for winter, especially when you are watching the Northeast dig out of blizzards.

[CrazyDonkey]

I agree about Bellingham's "crazy sunsets".



The key word is variable. Weather is coming through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Georgia Strait, and the Fraser River Valley, which makes for complex weather patterns. Not unlike Seattle, but even more so. Bellingham is in the Olympic Mountains "rain shadow", which is why it gets only 37" of rain (the Vancouver B.C. area gets 60-90" by comparison).

[ctr88]

I've been in Western WA about 4 years and still not sure about the weather, will take me a few more years. Here are my thoughts. I can say this, if I was stuck up here 12 mos a year and couldn't leave for sunny warmer places frequently from say Jan-April, not sure I could do it. Only two weeks vacation somewhere warm and sunny out of the the 8+ mos of mostly overcast wouldn't cut it for me.

I actually love the fall Sept/Oct when the rain starts again, because for 2-3 mos of summers in Western WA there is almost no rain. It's great to see things green up again and puts you in the fall mood. And I don't mind the holiday period Nov/Dec because chilly weather makes it feel more like the holidays for me. But by January the gray & chill is getting old for me. Especially when you can have 2 weeks+ periods of deep low gray clouds without seeing the sun, it starts to make me kind of batty. I start to day dream of shorts, sandals, hammocks, balmy days at the golf course, etc...

And you can get really overcast springs here. This year 75% of May and June were overcast (there were some hot days but mostly overcast). And even in June when the temp is say 65, it can feel like 57 due to the overcast. That is the tough part after a long gray winter, is the overcast springs. It can get frustrating still putting on the fleece in mid June when you leave the house. July/Aug are the only months where you get "consistent" sun, i.e you can rely on it daily.

There are some very nice things about the overcast cool weather though, it can be very enjoyable to be out walking, windows open with cool fresh breeze coming in, etc.... I would no way want the endless blazing sun of much of CA, AZ, CO, NM, UT, etc... either. But I have to say Jan-June up here I start seriously Jones'n for some shorts, sandals and feeling the sun and warmth surround me. The sun definitely has an effect on everyone's psyche whether some people want to admit it or not, it is science. It affects your overall mood even if you do not have SAD or any depression issues (which I do not have).

So in summary, if I didn't have the flexibility to leave this area for much of Jan-May, I'm not sure I could live up here.