Weather - Sierra Foothills vs. Seattle (Sacramento, Chico: new home, neighborhoods, living in)

[reddoggraydog]

Would anyone like to comment on the weather in the Sierra Foothills compared to the Seattle area? Someone who has lived both places? I have lived in Western Washington for about 20 years and I know that the foothills here have more rain and heat than the Puget Sound (Seattle) area. Seattle gets about 35 inches of precip in a year and it looks like Grass Valley, for example, gets almost 54 inches. I'm curious about wind, snow and thunderstorms too.

Thanks

[grapeguy]

You can get climate data for many locations in the western US here:

http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/Climsum.html

[reddoggraydog]

Thanks. I had not seen that website before you posted it. Great info there and I like the clickable map feature. I am still hoping to hear about the experiences of people who have spent time living in the areas. We are outside quite a bit and like to spend time exploring with our dogs. This is more fun (and practical) where the weather is not too extreme.

[looking4home]

I lived in Grass Valley for several years, but never Seattle. However, I will say that I think the weather is just great in the Foothills. You get four, true seasons, along with some snow in the winter, and the other seasons are fantastic. I don't know where you got that rainfall data, but anyone will tell you it's untrue. This is not known as a rainy region. Yes, there is some rain, usually in the winter and spring months, but it never rains in the summer, and very little in early fall, so how can anyone even compare it to Seattle?

[Kingsnkali]

The difference in weather between the Sierra foothills and Seattle is huge.

Seattle is a cloudy/cool/marine climate. Sierra foothills are more mediterranean in nature.

When it rains in the Sierra foothills, it really rains. Over and done. Not unusual to get 1 or 2 inches (or more) of rain with each passing storm. Seattle just rains or drizzles for days and days on end as they remain much closer to the Pacific storm track. Hours of rain over a typical season would likely show Seattle getting at least double the duration that the Sierra foothills receive. That would be a good statistic to look up.

You can't even compare "rainy seasons" because the Sierra foothills can go weeks with blue skies and mild temperatures in the middle of the winter. Much more sunshine than western Washington/Puget Sound.

You'll get some snow once in awhile in the Sierra foothills even though the overall winter is quite mild. You'll get a few more thunderstorms than Seattle. You'll see some small hail. The Sierra foothills get some wind storms but generally not as strong or common as the Puget Sound area.

And you'll see very little, if any rain in the Sierra foothills during the long (5 month plus) summer season.

[reddoggraydog]

Thank you Kingsnkali. That is just the kind of info that I was looking for but was not finding on the weather data websites. You are right about the rain being rather continual (but rarely heavy) in the Seattle area. You really can outside and be active most days of the year but many of those days are grey with some drizzle or (like today) a mix of showers and bright sun.

[DogLvr]

I have lived in Skagit County for the past 8 years. I lived in Butte & Solano county from 1968 to 1998, and camped in the Sierra foothills during that time. The foothills have wonderful weather. The rain totals come from true gully washers during the winter months. Seatle gets its rainfall a bit almost everyday from October until July, a constant mist/drizzle. The foothills get the summer heat but not as severe as the valley floor (Sacramento, Marysville, Chico, etc.)

I will be a Washington resident for 7 more days, I am off to my wonderful new home in the Sierra Nevada foothills and I cannot wait! I have had my fill of damp, drizzle, mist, shower, sprinkles....only western WA`can make 35 inches of rain last 9 months...

[KidBlue]

I live near Placerville, CA. I've never lived in WA, but I'm hoping to retire near Olympia and have done tons of research on the area. It depends on the exact area you are interested in, the Sierra foothills run a long way. Near Placerville it doesn't rain any where near 40 inches per year. I think the most I've seen in 40 years was 38 inches and that was a flood year. We usually get about 20 inches of rain, maybe an inch or two of snow but snow is rare. The summers are the killer. I've seen years where there was almost NO rain from mid June to mid to late October. It is typically in the 90's and can be over 100 for several days in a row. It flirts with 100 often. The foothills don't get the delta breeze like Sacramento so it can stay very warm in the night in the foothills also.

I think the winters are great but are soooo short!. If you could combine the winters here and the summers there, it would be the best place to live. Sacramento and the closer foothills are a Savannah grassland with grass and trees. Lower elevations have oaks and digger pines and higher elevations have oaks and Ponderosa pine among others. One of the amazing things in western WA is how straight your roads are--in the foothills, no roads are straight. Internet service bites!

[Heatblizzard]

Yuck. I am glad I don't live DIRECTLY in Seattle WA. I live in Silverton Or. I have heard that if you live in the neighborhoods around Seattle you can get higher Snowfall totals and a bit more dramatic rainfall from a thing called a CV Zone. Convergerance I belive.

Seattle Center is know to be hit and miss alot. Crapolia. Go to WesternUsawx.com for more info about Washington's weather from Members who live there. Warning sometimes if the weather is boring too long they get kinda; ahem, Restless. Though it's not as bad as a year ago. If you ask them I am sure they can pull out a whole thing of Snowfall/Rainfall of various nearby areas for you.

[CityGirl72]

I moved from Sac to Seattle....I HATE Seattle

I'd give my right arm to be back in Sac

The two places (yes even the foothills) are complete opposites