Same Climate as Seattle?

[Deezus]

Originally Posted by Botev1912

Someone said Vancouver is colder than Seattle and Portland and this is true. But also Seattle is colder than Portland especially when it's warm. There are many times when it is 36C in Portland, 28 in Seattle and only 20 in Vancouver. That is a big difference. When it's cold the difference is only 2-3 degrees Celsius. For example, right now it is 9C in Portland and Seattle and 8 in Vancouver. It's supposed to reach 16 in Portland, 12 in Seattle and 11 in Vancouver. It's supposed to be warm on Tuesday and it's going to be 22 in Portland, 15 in Seattle and 14 in Vancouver.

Portland is more inland and sheltered from the coastal weather systems than Seattle or Vancouver as well as being further south. On the other side though we get cold air that comes from the east occasionally as winds howl down the Columbia Gorge towards the eastern part of the metro.

[belmont22]

Vancouver is much colder. Portland has the climate of southwestern France, Seattle is comparable perhaps to the Channel Islands, Vancouver's is more like London.

[belmont22]

Vancouver is not as sunless as you would think. It's still sunnier than much of Europe, and the rain during the summer is very moderate. It gets nearly 2000 sun hours as opposed to London's fewer than 1500.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by evissone

Vancouver and Seattle share the same climate, but their weather can be somewhat different.
For example Vancouver receives 1155mm of rain a year, 22% more than Seattle (942) on average.
Seattle gets 2174 sunshine hours a year, while Vancouver gets 1928 hours.

So for most people's standards, Seattle has better weather than Vancouver (more sunshine, less precipitation).

It gets a bit more breeze, too, which is something I like.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by belmont22

Vancouver is much colder. Portland has the climate of southwestern France, Seattle is comparable perhaps to the Channel Islands, Vancouver's is more like London.

Vancouver can be much colder under certain conditions. I explain below.
Also, Portland can expierience very cold outflow "gorge winds" through the Columbia river gap, which can cause everything to become glazed in ice when it combines with Pacific moisture. I do no think this is too common is SW France.

Originally Posted by belmont22

Vancouver is not as sunless as you would think. It's still sunnier than much of Europe, and the rain during the summer is very moderate. It gets nearly 2000 sun hours as opposed to London's fewer than 1500.

In fact, as someone from Vancouver, I can elaborate. Mid-winter continental high pressure can develop and come out as a howling wind through the fjords, dropping the temperature first, and sharply, in Vancouver, then moving on to Seattle where much of the intensity of the cold has dispersed. This largely causes Seattle's winter stats to be higher. Nonetheless, the first flowering shrubs do show up in Seattle acouple of weeks before Vancouver.

Also, low pressure rainy systems normally come up from south-southeast bringing a lick of milder winter air to Seattle, and suotherly, blustery, mild rain to both cities.
Seattle is in Plant Hardiness zones 8B and 9A, while Vancouver is also in Hardiness zone 8B, with pockets of 9A in sheltered areas, 8A in the eastern suburbs.

However, as you stated, Vancouver is still, although as you say like London, considerably sunnier, with a lower humidity - by a long shot - in a summer heatwave or a winter cold snap.
And you can find winter-blooming plants in Vancouver, like witch hazel, and roses in december, snow drops in January, and crocuses, daffodils and cherry blossoms in February. Summer has a few rainy spells here and there, but often brings weeks of unbroken dry warmth, not something you'd rarely see in London.

The Channel Islands are in Zone 9B, which permits species of plants, in particular several types of palms, that you would not see in Portland, Seattle, let alone Vancouver. The Phoenix Palm, or "Canary Island Palm" is a good example.