C'mon, is the weather really that bad? (Seattle: homes, heat pump)

[jertheber]

I've said it before, it doesn't get easier to accept the rain, I've known quite few transplants, they either love this place or they don't. It is not only rain but the entire Marine climate that is so misunderstood. It is absolutely beautiful here, and that beauty comes with a price.

Anyone coming here would be wise to rent for a two year period at least, if you find the winters to be a problem there is always the east side of the state, it is the constant lack of light that can really get to some folk's, this of course, isn't to say that it's all bad, we have too many people here to attest to the good points of our state.

[dancingirisheyes]

If we didn't have kids, I'd be all for renting first. But we have three kiddos and I'm pretty dead-set against moving them multiple times in their lives, having experienced that myself growing up. So when we move, its our hope that its permanent.

[Neal2009]

Originally Posted by jertheber

I've said it before, it doesn't get easier to accept the rain, I've known quite few transplants, they either love this place or they don't. It is not only rain but the entire Marine climate that is so misunderstood. It is absolutely beautiful here, and that beauty comes with a price.

Anyone coming here would be wise to rent for a two year period at least, if you find the winters to be a problem there is always the east side of the state, it is the constant lack of light that can really get to some folk's, this of course, isn't to say that it's all bad, we have too many people here to attest to the good points of our state.

The rain is very very very very much exaggerated, . I count count the number of times on 1 hand it has rained significantly the last 2 months or so and on the other hand I can probably count the number of times it will rain significantly in the next 3 months. It will rain alot from November til March and then the rain will taper off significantly and become alot more sporadic until it more or less dissappears in late May or early June.

After hearing about how much it rains, you will be pleasantly surprised how much it really doesnt rain. That is because when you read forums like this you come here anticipating rain every day, which is far from the case.

What is not exaggerated are the cloudy skies. It really is an interesting and somewhat mind altering experience to live under nearly constant cloud cover for 6 to 8 months. Sure you will get the occassional 2 to 3 day stretch where the sun comes out, but that is the exception and not the rule in the northwest during much of the year. Anyhow, it may be tough the first winter, it may be not, just be reassured that several transplants have adjusted after a rough initial winter or 2, and many thrive in this kind of climate, and that includes those from sunny climates.

[dancingirisheyes]

I think mostly overcast with the occasional sunny is ideal. As a photographer, I find the best photos and most flattering natural light come with overcast skies.

[Botev1912]

Let's see the real facts

April 2009 - 10 days with rain > 0.05 inches, 4 days with rain < 0.05 inches
May 2009 - 8 days > 0.05, 4 days < 0.05
June 2009 (1-25) - 1 day > 0.05, 4 days < 0.05

[dancingirisheyes]

Jan - March will probably be the most difficult for us. We're used to 65-70 degrees and sunny for those months. Spring fever will be new for us. The rest of the months sound pretty tolerable. Even though Winter will be harder than it is in So Cal, I know that comparatively, Western WA actually has mild winters when you realize how the rest of the country is complaining about below zero temps and snow that lasts for months!

[Neal2009]

Originally Posted by Botev1912

Let's see the real facts

April 2009 - 10 days with rain > 0.05 inches, 4 days with rain < 0.05 inches
May 2009 - 8 days > 0.05, 4 days < 0.05
June 2009 (1-25) - 1 day > 0.05, 4 days < 0.05

I did say significant rain fall, not total and those statisitcs seem to more or less confirm that.

[Botev1912]

I agreed with you, so you didn't have to response. Misunderstanding

[jertheber]

Once you decide to move, you automatically question the changes that you will be subject to, here in western Wa we have a decidedly different weather system when compared to the rest of the country.

Here we have a Northern, Western, Marine climate. This is considerably different from other marine climes to the south, Texas for example, has a lot of shoreline on the gulf, Maine has it's share of Atlantic coast weather, but neither of these two states have any similarity in weather when comparing them to washington.

I lived in Alaska in the seventies, people there warned me of the winter blues resulting from the continious darkness, but, to be honest, it wasn't that much different from the gloom I'd experienced here, colder, yes, and very depressing. I think it made me realize what had been missing in my life, and that was the daylight that southerners have come to take for granted.

I grew up north of Seattle, so I don't remember the weather as a deterrent to doing things outside, my grandkid's don't seem to mind it either. It is just that the continious gloom can be a deterrent for folk's like me, who are retired and have a lot of free time. If you are working you probably won't notice it as bad. I can see that quite a number of people are going to get defensive about the claims of too much rain, but most have to be truthful in regard to the eight months of seemingly endless grey skies, and dismal dewy drizzle that doesn't get in the stats, it isn't even enough to turn on the windshield wipes on a lot of days, but step outside and you'll be soaked in a short time.

I've posted here before, in an attempt to provide the truth of our discontent, even the tough types have been grousing over the last four or five winters. It IS depressing, that's my message, if you think you can get used to it, you'll be rewarded with the beauty that only a ton of moisture can create, the rain forests here are remarkable, the creeks and rivers are some of the most spectacular anywhere, as a photographer I can attest to the abundance of natural scenery, and as you pointed out the grey and cloudy skies can be a boost to those who appreciate the beauty of a contrasting light that can make for some hauntingly beautifull photos.

Overall, you'd still be wise to spend some time here in winter, to get the idea, any given day between October to June would suffice, just multiply that dreary day, times eight months or so....

[forgeron]

Seasonal daylength is strictly a function of latitude. The sun rises and sets at the same clock time on any given day anywhere along a given parallel of latitude. It doesn't matter whether the weather is rainy or sunny--the length of the day is the same. j_k_k lives in Kennewick, which is about 1 degree of latitude to the south of Seattle. According to the U.S. Naval Observatory, the interval between sunrise and sunset on December 20th this year (the shortest day) will last 8 hrs 37 min in Kennewick, 12 minutes longer in than in Seattle. Only you can say whether the 12 extra minutes would make a big difference to you.

Winter days are short in northern latitudes, but summer days are correspondingly long. On the day of the summer solstice this year it was 16 hrs 0 min between sunrise and sunset in Seattle.