Portland Gloomy -- really? (Rainier: home, live, moving to)

[Daveydoe]

Ok, I lived in Puyallup, WA (near Tacoma) from 2001-2004. I NEVER found it gloomy or depressing (I'm from Toronto and perhaps the lack of freezing cold winters had jaded my perception a bit).

I visited Portland for the first time this summer and LOVED the city.

Is Portland worse in terms of winter weather than Western WA?

[mazurkr]

no...what makes you (and me) different is we are used to truly crappy winters.

i'm from michigan. gray and freezing is worse by far than grey and cool.

those who have a strong distaste for portland winters are usually from warm, sunny climates originally.

[philwithbeard]

Originally Posted by Daveydoe

.....Is Portland worse in terms of winter weather than Western WA?

No.

Close enough that any difference fades to insignificance as you leave the PNW.

Our active volcano is Mt. Hood, Tacoma I think has Mr. Rainier.

Phil

[idw2s]

LOL... I come from SoCal, and I'm moving to Michigan in search of snow (and horse property). I suppose I don't fit the typical mold.

We lived in Seattle, we've lived here for 4 summers. In general, summers are warmer, fewer summer storms, and not as gloomy or drizzly as Seattle.

I've said all summer this summer reminded me of a Seattle summer. They're usually much more overwhelmingly sunny and dry. This one was very mild.

I think the weather here is fantastic. It's rarely muggy, you get summer and then you get enough of a break to make you appreciate it. You get snow and then you don't for years, or you get a light dusting (a perk for you snow area folks).

Frankly, most of my family are SoCal loving lizards, but I don't do heat. It's just a matter of preference.

[philwithbeard]

Michigan????
MICHIGAN?

There must be more to this story than snow and horse farm land. Got to be.
Southeast Wisconsin (north by northwest of Chicago) is better for both snow and horses, without the problems of being centered between the Great Lakes and the god awful problems that plague Michigan's current economy. Lake Geneva Wisconsin I think is great horse country, and even over by Baraboo, Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Dells is better snow and horse country.

(Baraboo was once, 100 years or so, the winter home of a couple of the northern teams of great Tent Circuses. Lots and Lots of circus horse farms once were all around Baraboo. Big draft horses and smaller performing horses. There is a museum there where you can see the barn that housed JUMBO, the elephant, during winter).

But you made your own mind up, so I wish you the best of luck. Just be aware of the 'Calvinist' religious ultra conservatives over in the Western side of the Lower Peninsula. That ain't 'Left Coast' country.

Phil

[John Shaft]

It's not the summers that are considered gloomy. They're probably as near to perfect as you'll find in the US.

It's the other 9 months.