Since winds blow from west to east, and Seattle is east of the ocean from which clouds pick up moisture, and is west of the mountains, that means the clouds have to drop that water in order to be light enough to climb over the mountains. Maybe you remember your Physics classes? Hope you enjoy the graphic! Click on it to enlarge it.
See how they're dropping their rain just before they get to the mountains?
Y'know, "gloominess" (like beautiful, horrible, wonderful, etc.) is only in the eye of the beholder. Do you mean "cloudy"? (The first is a judgment; the second is a fact. Big difference, right?) Lots of people think the cloudiness is wonderful. Judgment...
