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What brought you to Seattle from SoCal? Job, lifestyle, family, etc.? It's nice to hear that someone from SoCal that is enjoying the Pacific NorthWest. The biggest fear is the weather for us. As mentioned in my early post, we don't mind the overcast/rainy days, but how how many consecutive days, we don't know.
A man. Well, that's not really ALL of it. I didn't like where I was, and the PNW was an option, so I went for it.
I won't lie. The weather can get really dreary. But, as I have said, if you keep yourself busy, the time can go by real quick, and then you get to enjoy weekends like this one. (GORGEOUS!!!!)
You know what they say, sometimes you need to be deprived of something before you can really appreciate it.
You know what they say, sometimes you need to be deprived of something before you can really appreciate it.
So true. This is why I think how the Northerners around the world (well except for a few) seem to appreciate life more. When I was in NYC on a nice day, everybody would go to the park to have lunch.
I personally think the rain in Vancouver's overrated, but then again, I grew up here so I'm used to it. It's really not the rain (it might rain a whole 15 minutes in one day but remain overcast for the entirety of 3 days)... but I think it also helps when you understand the geographical factors as to why it rains here. This is a really good overview: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Vancouver
As a quick summary, it's known as the rainshadow effect. Warm moisture-laden air perpetually blows over the Pacific Ocean towards the west coast. As the air hits the mountain ranges in Vancouver, it must rise up to get over the mountains to continue moving west. As the air rises, it must lose its moisture - clouds form, and then rain! Now, this is a seasonal phenomenon which occurs somewhere between November and March/April. It also explains Vancouver's microclimate - why it rains the most at the base of the mountains in North Vancouver and West Vancouver. It's why it can be sunny 50% more in places like Tsawwassen and White Rock, despite them all being a part of Greater Vancouver. And it explains why on the eastern side of the mountain range in the Okanagan Valley, it's semi-arid/desert - it lacks moisture because all the air blowing over the mountains have lost its moisture. If you're really needing a SoCal fix, just drive 4-5 hours to the Okanagan, and presto! It's like being back!
You can also remember that it's a rainforest zone here - the vegetation needs the rain for it to survive. It's why the gardens are so lush and why the air's so beautiful and breathable. It's why nobody really has air conditioning - they just open a window if they need fresh, cool air.
But again, this is all very seasonal. As we get further away from March, the amount of rainfall plummets and the amount of sunshine increases. You can honestly have weeks of sunshine here in June, July, August, September, and even October. I know it's laughable to think of "weeks of sunshine" coming from California, but people always love to generalize and say "it always rains in Vancouver", but they don't fully appreciate the seasonality of it. In the summer months, we usually have drought conditions which can be particularly nasty in the forests, as forest fires are always a threat.
If you're up for it, you can learn to appreciate the diversity of the climate, as it really does give you different dynamics. A walk through the rainforest in the rain is quite sublime.
I've lived all over the United States (in all climates), but I've never lived in a place like the PNW, where *literally* if you don't like the weather, drive ten miles.
I remember, when I was still living in So Cal, speaking to my bf (who is in Richmond) about the weather. (I had seen some images of a particularly nasty rainstorm in Vancouver, I think.) He said that it was grey, but there had been little to no rain. WHAT??? I took another look at the map, to make sure that I had the locations correct. Yup, there was Richmond, an island just south of the city of Vancouver. How is this even possible?
I can't tell you how many times since then that I have been driving north on 99 in a driving rainstorm through Surrey and Delta, and once I get through the Massey Tunnel into Richmond, it just stops. At one point, in the winter of 07-08, Richmond got *maybe* a half inch of snow, while there was about 6 inches on the ground just 10 miles away.
Since I've been here, I've also been learning quite a lot about "convergence zones", "mountain shadows", and my personal favorite, "surprise snowstorms".
But, seriously, remember that we have to keep the truth hidden. It *always* rains in the PNW, remember? *wink* *wink* We don't want everyone to be in on the truth, or they'll all want to move here.
I personally think the rain in Vancouver's overrated, but then again, I grew up here so I'm used to it. It's really not the rain (it might rain a whole 15 minutes in one day but remain overcast for the entirety of 3 days)... but I think it also helps when you understand the geographical factors as to why it rains here. This is a really good overview: Climate of Vancouver - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
As a quick summary, it's known as the rainshadow effect. Warm moisture-laden air perpetually blows over the Pacific Ocean towards the west coast. As the air hits the mountain ranges in Vancouver, it must rise up to get over the mountains to continue moving west. As the air rises, it must lose its moisture - clouds form, and then rain! Now, this is a seasonal phenomenon which occurs somewhere between November and March/April. It also explains Vancouver's microclimate - why it rains the most at the base of the mountains in North Vancouver and West Vancouver. It's why it can be sunny 50% more in places like Tsawwassen and White Rock, despite them all being a part of Greater Vancouver. And it explains why on the eastern side of the mountain range in the Okanagan Valley, it's semi-arid/desert - it lacks moisture because all the air blowing over the mountains have lost its moisture. If you're really needing a SoCal fix, just drive 4-5 hours to the Okanagan, and presto! It's like being back!
You can also remember that it's a rainforest zone here - the vegetation needs the rain for it to survive. It's why the gardens are so lush and why the air's so beautiful and breathable. It's why nobody really has air conditioning - they just open a window if they need fresh, cool air.
But again, this is all very seasonal. As we get further away from March, the amount of rainfall plummets and the amount of sunshine increases. You can honestly have weeks of sunshine here in June, July, August, September, and even October. I know it's laughable to think of "weeks of sunshine" coming from California, but people always love to generalize and say "it always rains in Vancouver", but they don't fully appreciate the seasonality of it. In the summer months, we usually have drought conditions which can be particularly nasty in the forests, as forest fires are always a threat.
If you're up for it, you can learn to appreciate the diversity of the climate, as it really does give you different dynamics. A walk through the rainforest in the rain is quite sublime.
I agree the rain is overrated, I think what most people really don't like is the large amount of overcast days. I grew up in White Rock and it's true that it can be sunny there and either overcast or raining in other areas. It is unfortunate that white rock is just to long of a drive into Vancouver for me. I do miss walking along the beach there throughout the year. It is a much more mellow vibe then the beaches here and generally less crowded.
I had lived in Vancouver for a couple years, Dallas for 2 yrs, moving to LA now and currently in Toronto....Vancouver rain is light and drizzly, they never really have the big down pours Toronto and Dallas had. You need an umbrella and rain jkt...but it never stopped me from getting out for a walk...I just lived through the gloomy days and appreciated the sun when it came out.
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