Is the Rain that bad in Vancouver (Seattle, Salmon Creek: work, home)

[valgarner2]

I hear so many horror stories about the rain. I am moving there soon. Is the rain that bad.

[thirtysomething]

You know, I lived in Vancouver on and off from '86-96, and I have memories of some rain, but nothing NEAR the amount of rain that it seems to get, if you read this board.

One month ago, we returned to Vancouver. Of course its been raining, sometimes a lot (it is, after all, the typical winter weather), but it doesn't *always* rain.

Yesterday it did start out raining, but by the afternoon it had stopped, and there was actually BLUE SKY!!!

And it's funny, because people mention the grey skies? Unless there was a huge rain cloud, I always viewed those grey skies as 'daylight', LOL. Not sunshine, not rain, just 'daylight'. Guess it's all how you look at things.

The rain doesn't stop most people from living. The other morning, around 7:30, I took my kids to school in Camas. Yes, it was p-o-u-r-i-n-g! And you know what? I saw no less than 12 people out jogging or walking dogs.

Just remember, it's easier to handle the rain when you are prepared for the rain.

Good luck with your move.

[janb]

Clark County rainfall varies from 30" to 120" per yr, so pick your spot carefully.

Average is ~ 40" in Vancouver proper

East side of town (east of I-205) is notably colder and windy

Living in Minnehaha (North Vancouver) was like coming home to the tropics while working in east county during freezing rain (actually was just a few degrees warmer, but little or no wind.) The Vancouver area does not often get fog, so other than the wind the climate is pretty similar and mild. Probably north of Hwy 500 and west of I-205 is best climate, and that would include Lincoln area, Minnehaha, Hazel Dell, Felida, Salmon Creek, Ridgefield, and any points in between.

Yacolt / Amboy are very wet without much wind (extreme NE of Clark County)
High east county destinations get serious rainfall, as the storm clouds have to unload to climb over the cascade range.

Some breathable Helly Hansen rain gear will help (there is a true HH outlet store in Centralia, the ones in Woodburn, & Bend, OR carry pretty 'high-end' outlet stock) Columbia also makes some decent rain gear. Find yourself some indoor hobbies, and don't restrict outdoor activities just because of rain, but it IS a significantly greater pain if you are in outdoor construction or farming.

If you have a car that doesn't leak, a garage door opener, and use a furnace for heat instead of a woodstove, you probably won't notice the rain. But if you are an avid bicycler who is not used to getting soaked, you might be disappointed. If you have kids in soccer or baseball, you will want that raingear. Umbrellas are not too PC when they block views and smash into the faces of native PNW'rs (they are the ones without umbrellas or raingear... just wet, tho they might be wearing 18" tall muck boots)

[scottsostuff]

We always have said that if it was really that bad no one would move here, and since there have been record amounts of people moving here over the years from other states we think that it must be ok.

Seattle gets much more rain and adverse weather than we do. When checking out the weather for our area be sure to check by looking at Portland, Oregon as we are considered the Portland/Vancouver market, even though we are in different states.