Just how gloomy is gloomy?

[Rhiannon29]

Originally Posted by oldtintype

I think the difference is the sun starts to set around 5pm in So. CA but here it's literally DARK by 4:30 for a few months.

Getting dark early has nothing to do with the PNW, its daylight savings. During the winter, it gets dark early everywhere. When I lived in Philadelphia, I dreaded daylight savings in the fall because it starts getting dark around 4:30 or so. I hated it.

[cdelena]

Originally Posted by Rhiannon29

Getting dark early has nothing to do with the PNW, its daylight savings. During the winter, it gets dark early everywhere. When I lived in Philadelphia, I dreaded daylight savings in the fall because it starts getting dark around 4:30 or so. I hated it.

Yes, there is a difference. The higher the latitude the longer the day/night at the extremes.

At the equator days and nights are generally equal through the year. Here we have long days in the summer and long nights in the winter.

There is a greater difference in Alaska and less difference in California.

[PNW-type-gal]

December 21, 2007 (all times local time)
Los Angeles, CA: sunrise 6:54 sunset 4:47
San Francisco, CA: sunrise 7:20 sunset: 4:54
Portland, OR: sunrise 7:47 sunset 4:29
Seattle, WA: sunrise 7:54 sunset 4:20
Juneau, AK: sunrise 8:45 sunset 3:20

[nancy thereader]

Yes. I lived in Brazil which is pretty close to the equator and all during the year, we had pretty much the same amount of day and night.

[PNW-type-gal]

Originally Posted by nancy thereader

Yes. I lived in Brazil which is pretty close to the equator and all during the year, we had pretty much the same amount of day and night.

Every time I've been near - or nearish - the tropics, the other thing I noticed was how short the sunset/twilight was. The first time I went to Hawaii, there was a bar out over the water we wanted to sit in and watch the sunset, but we kept missing true sunset because we expected it to last longer. I know in Portland, near the summer solstice, the sunsets are long and there's a glow to the NW that you can see long after the sun has set. On July 4th, it's not really dark enough to light fireworks until 10-11, even though the "official" sunset is around 9pm.

[nancy thereader]

Yes, that is so true. One minute it is day and the next (it seems) it is night.

[EnricoV]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

December 21, 2007 (all times local time)
Los Angeles, CA: sunrise 6:54 sunset 4:47
San Francisco, CA: sunrise 7:20 sunset: 4:54
Portland, OR: sunrise 7:47 sunset 4:29
Seattle, WA: sunrise 7:54 sunset 4:20
Juneau, AK: sunrise 8:45 sunset 3:20

But then you have to counter-balance that with the summers (yesterday's times):
Los Angeles, CA: sunrise 5:52 sunset 8:05
San Francisco, CA: sunrise 5:58 sunset: 8:31
Portland, OR: sunrise 5:33 sunset 8:56
Seattle, WA: sunrise 5:26 sunset 9:03
Juneau, AK: sunrise 4:13 sunset 9:53

It always shocks me to be in LA during the summer, when it gets dark an hour earlier than it does in Portland.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by nancy thereader

Yes, that is so true. One minute it is day and the next (it seems) it is night.

I agree; when we lived in Singapore (within 1 degree of equator)
sunrise 7 AM (took about 20 min) really pretty from the 65th floor of Westin (now Swisshotel)
sunset 7 pm (took about 10 min, then it was pitch black!) this is best enjoyed at a fresh seafood hawker stall

The last few weeks have had interesting sunsets in Portland area. First it was a south wind that brought the California Smoke, sunsets were stunning and very long. Sun was a fireball from about 10 Degrees above horizon.

Now we have our own wildfire making smoke. (Mt Adams). Sunrise will be great in about 4 hrs, I might run up the gorge (~5 min) to get a view from Cape Horn to Bonneville Dam. It is a great place for sunrise, and you can spend the whole day around the gorge, and still make it to the beach for sunset. (or watch it from the Vista house).

The problem with 'gloomy'... is trying to get your 'must do' stuff done and also enjoying the few nice days. I am beginning to think it is best to be an 'apartment' dweller in this climate (or have a 'normal' house). Having a farm and building houses and barns, putting up hay, pouring sidewalks, doing roofing, and fixing things requires all the nice days + more.

Hope you are on your way out Nancy, the free concerts in the park are well underway. It is something you don't want to miss. Nice long evenings, nice music, nice flowers. Bluegrass tomorrow night in Mt Tabor Park.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by nancy thereader

At least February always had Valentine's Day right in its (short) middle.

to get a 'gloom recharge' - I try to escape to Loveland, Colorado for Valentines Day (hometown from decades ago...)

It is really fun and all decorated up, and usually plenty of sun + a skiff of snow. Seeing Colorful Colorado in Feb (brown and very dead, grass and deciduous trees, + beetle kill pine) makes you glad to be back in the PNW (that will last me for a few weeks, then off to CA (usually SF) for early spring, the hills and grass are so pretty there before May) Any later in CA and you again appreciate the PNW = GREEN. For sure you want to be in PNW for week before mother's day (Rhodies). Usually you have to stick around in the spring just to mow the grass twice a week (in the rain...)

I stick around in the summers for the long days, and concerts in the park and August berry picking (+ homemade IceCream)

Early Oct it is back to Colorado, WY or NE USA. Late Oct is pretty in PNW (unless it rains HARD and knocks off the leaves) the sunsets at the beach seem to be best in Oct. In Nov or Dec I try to go to Cook Islands or South Pacific (off season). Now for something to do in Jan, besides taxes... maybe Belize or Mexico

I've been enjoying the econo SWA fares from PDX this last yr and have done several extra trips to SW USA and to Mtns for a 'gloom recharge'. I'm afraid the $38 fares to Sacramento might be over It is a great place to escape gloom. A $16/ day priceline car will get you to Reno, Tahoe, Yosemite, and 'The City' for a nice week of solar 'recharge'

[oldtintype]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

December 21, 2007 (all times local time)
Los Angeles, CA: sunrise 6:54 sunset 4:47
San Francisco, CA: sunrise 7:20 sunset: 4:54
Portland, OR: sunrise 7:47 sunset 4:29
Seattle, WA: sunrise 7:54 sunset 4:20
Juneau, AK: sunrise 8:45 sunset 3:20

Even though these times aren't that different I don't remember it being dark so quickly in CA. When we moved here it was a pronounced difference. It may be "sunset" at 4:29 but it's dark almost immediately, where as in SF it may be sunset at 4:54 it wasn't dark instantly more like 5:30. It may not seem like a big difference but when sunrise isn't until a 1/2 hour later it seemed like a lot less sun. I remember it getting lighter quicker too unless I'm totally insane, though last winter when I visited SF I noticed a major difference in sunrise/set. Maybe, again, it has to do with light intensity.