Developing SAD (Seattle, Wenatchee: homes, to live, stats)

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by Jennibc

My doctor up there told me it sometimes worsens with aging as was my case. As far as the grass is always greener, I don't know about that. We moved away about a year and half ago and within two months of leaving Seattle, I felt so much better than I'd felt in years and haven't really experienced the lethargy down here that I did up there. There were a couple of times this past winter where we would go three or four days without seeing the sun and by the end of those stretches it was harder to get to the gym, clean the house etc. Some of us are really affected by the lack of light.

If I were "misplacing" (do you mean misidentifying?) psychological suffering attributable to something different and blaming SAD, then I wouldn't have had the dramatic, and it's been dramatic, turn around in mood and energy that I've had in the last year and a half. I'm still married to the same spouse, still have the same kid, still am the same person, but I have much more energy. I don't see the grass being greener anyplace else.

I've known a whole bunch of people who lived with the lack of sunlight pretty happily for years, but then it got worse and worse as they aged, and when they went to sunnier climes, their whole outlook changed for the better.

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by Ira500

I've known a whole bunch of people who lived with the lack of sunlight pretty happily for years, but then it got worse and worse as they aged, and when they went to sunnier climes, their whole outlook changed for the better.

Yes, have you noticed how senior citizens retire to Florida and Arizona? Not a lot of people retiring to Maine or Seattle. The further north the latitude the less hours of sunlight in the winter. There is also a very different quality to the sunlight in lower latitudes than up here. Sunny days in Seattle aren't as "bright" as sunny days down here or in San Diego.

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by Jennibc

Yes, have you noticed how senior citizens retire to Florida and Arizona? Not a lot of people retiring to Maine or Seattle. The further north the latitude the less hours of sunlight in the winter. There is also a very different quality to the sunlight in lower latitudes than up here. Sunny days in Seattle aren't as "bright" as sunny days down here or in San Diego.

And yet Seattle leads the nation in per capita sales of sunglasses. Go figure.

[irrational exuberance]

Well today it cleared up. We immediately took the dogs for a 5 mile walk. It is refreshing.

[observer]

I am planning on visiting Seattle in a little over month from now. I have been following the weather in Seattle most days for a few weeks now. I know come July it is a different story with more sunny days. However, being that tomorrow is June 1st, according to the 10 day forecast it suppose to be in the low 50's to lower to mid 60's during the next 10 days and reaching over 70 sometime after Tue. June 8th. Generally, I like that type of weather. Yet, for most of May it seems that it has been lows in the 40's and highs around 60. I am not sure if 40's and 50's for a long stretch of the year especially heading into June with cloudy and rainy days may get to me or not. Living in Miami I have not experienced that type of weather for months.

I will say this though, I will take the 50's and 60's right now over the 90 degree with heat index of 99 which I experienced today in Miami. In fact, for most of May the highs here has been in the mid to upper 80's with a few days in the 90's including at least 2 days that reached 93. OUCH!

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by observer

I am planning on visiting Seattle in a little over month from now. I have been following the weather in Seattle most days for a few weeks now. I know come July it is a different story with more sunny days. However, being that tomorrow is June 1st, according to the 10 day forecast it suppose to be in the low 50's to lower to mid 60's during the next 10 days and reaching over 70 sometime after Tue. June 8th. Generally, I like that type of weather. Yet, for most of May it seems that it has been lows in the 40's and highs around 60. I am not sure if 40's and 50's for a long stretch of the year especially heading into June with cloudy and rainy days may get to me or not. Living in Miami I have not experienced that type of weather for months.

I will say this though, I will take the 50's and 60's right now over the 90 degree with heat index of 99 which I experienced today in Miami. In fact, for most of May the highs here has been in the mid to upper 80's with a few days in the 90's including at least 2 days that reached 93. OUCH!

It's not so much the cooler temperatures that get to people here, it's the lack of sunshine. We have had an unusually gray and cool May. We normally get more sunshine in May. It's sunny right now as I write this, it's glorious. You really appreciate the sun around here when it makes one of it's rare appearances.

[SaltyDawg]

to be able to comprehensively describe the weather.

We're in an 'awful' stretch right now. Below-normal temps for the last 14 days with above-average precipitation. That isn't the standard for May.

Nor is the standard for January to have temps in the 50's with little rain.

It's the inconsistencies that drive folks nuts. Some years we have balmy Mays followed by June gloom... this year, May has been cool, but who knows what June will end up like. Last June was sunny and hot.

The reason people like the desert southwest is that they know what they'll get - bone dry, hot weather. It's not for me, but I can see the appeal, particularly to the older and those with joint maladies.

Looking at any 10-day forecast in the PNW is fools gold, by the way. Any meteorologist will tell you that forecasting more than 3-4 days out is a complete crapshoot - particularly when you take into account the massively complex combination of mountains, water, and land formations up here.

If you check the website link below, you will notice that last May was pretty much the complete opposite in terms of weather. There were only 7 cloudy days last May, and never was cloudy more than 3 days in a row. This May had 19-21 cloudy days. May last year literally had 15 a days in a row stretch during this time last year that was sunny, mostly sunny, or partly cloudy(a partly cloudy almost always has lots of sunshine so it usually counts as "sunny"). The ironic thing is that last May had more precipitation than this May, even though it was much sunnier. December 2009 had more sunnier days than this May, and had more sunshine than usual for that month. This past winter had above average sunshine while this spring had below average sunshine.

And even this May, it was relatively sunny during the middle of May. But it seems like to many forgot that, and have "the glass is half empty" attitude about it instead of "the glass is half full."

Seattle Climate Data - Monthly Summaries (http://www.beautifulseattle.com/clisumm.htm - broken link)

[mea-oh]

Originally Posted by la_fuerza

I miss the Seattle weather so much right now. I am in Columbus, Ohio right now and have been here for the past few days. It's been 85 and humid every day! It's killing me- I can't even go outside for very long because it's so oppressively hot! I have to go from air conditioned bulidings to the air conditioned rental car.

It's a shame too, because Columbus seems to be a pretty historic city. I like to walk around neighborhoods and explore cities by foot, rather than car.

I know the weather in Seattle hasn't been that great this month but I really miss being able to walk around outdoors and feeling comfortable. I can't wait to get back! I love Seattle!

Now see, I live in Columbus and will be moving to Seattle in the next year. I really like this weather we've been having here over the last week. And then looking at the crap Seattle is currently having, it makes me nervous to move there.

No doubt the winters are better in Seattle (I hate the cold and snow), and the milder summers are probably better too (Columbus can get so hot and humid). But spring in Columbus is usually quite nice and right now it doesn't appear Seattle has even had a spring.

I can't wait to move to Seattle, but the spring weather is one area that concerns me. I don't get SAD (I don't think), but I get irritated with cold, cruddy days. By May it should be nice, IMO.

[rmkiefer07]

Originally Posted by mea-oh

I can't wait to move to Seattle, but the spring weather is one area that concerns me. I don't get SAD (I don't think), but I get irritated with cold, cruddy days. By May it should be nice, IMO.

May is a crap-shoot. Some years can be very spring like with warm temps and more sun than not (last year was a good example), then other years can be cool & wet (such as this year).