Moving back to WA: Coping w/ overcast (Seattle, Sequim: housing, rent)

[justin]

I moved to Phoenix with my wife in July of 06 from WA state. Our primary reason was the weather. Although Phoenix is not perfect, the weather (8 months of the year) is wonderful and good for the soul/mood. It would take a lot to move back to WA. Nice to visit, but gray skies, rain, sleet, snow etc. is too much for us.

[Sean_Harrington]

I am not there yet, but I did grow up in New York, which has more actual rain than Seattle. The big difference, with say, Western Washington vs the midwest or East, is that while it IS cloudy much of the Winter, it is still GREEN on the ground! It still looks LUSH. The East does not look green and lush in the Winter, the ground is as grey as the sky.

[New Jersey Texan]

Originally Posted by silentmoon

I am originally from Chicago where we had four distinct seasons, but have been living in Western Washington for over 15 years now, and I have to admit that the overcast skies and rain are serious problems for me. It took several years for this to happen, but it seems to have built up and now I can't bear to see the clouds every day. It has a deadening effect on my psyche. Yes, when it's sunny it's glorious out here, and the summers can be fantastic, but unfortunately they don't last very long, and in my personal opinion nothing can take the place of more consistent sunshine. I have found that weather is very important to me over the years.

This area is very beautiful and has a lot to offer, so I guess you'll just have to decide if you can handle it.

I like what you said as far as nothing can take the place of consistant sunshine. That very sentiment is what brought my wife and I to DFW,Tx
Out here you get sunshine almost every day. I spent almost my whole life in N.J. There like Wa. I guess you pray for prolonged sunny weather but you hardly ever get it!

[Seattletony]

I'm a life long resident of Seattle who has had brief stints elsewhere i.e. Phoenix, Pittsburgh, and Baton Rouge. I moved back to Seattle recently and could not wait to get the hell out of Phoenix. How can anyone in there right mind claim that they love being in heat six months out of the year. Sorry, I have to young children and going to the park at 90 plus degrees is out of the question let alone 100 degrees. Rain is Seattle/W. Washingtons greates asset. I would hate for Seattle to have Phoenix/Vegas/So Cals climate. These areas have THE WORST AIR QUALITY IN THE COUNTRY I REPEAT THE WORSE AIR QUALITY IN THE COUNTRY. I find funny how no one ever mentions this when they talk weather. All they talk about is the 300 days of sun without mentioning poor air quality, and summers that last 180 days. Seattle/W. Washington and W. Oregon is the most beautiful region in the lower 48 time away has made appreciate this area more and more. So for all those rushing to the desert for smog, lack of culture, and heat have fun I'm happy right in the overcast where I can comfortably be out in it and not sweat like a pig and also be able to breathe clean fresh air

[Seattletony]

To ad one more thing, I have spent considerable time in the bay aree/Nor Cal and Nor cal from a whether stand point is not LA. NEWS FLASH IT RAINS IN NOR CAL IN THE WINTER JUST LIKE IN W. OREGON/WASHINGTON. Don't take my word for it look at an average weather report for Nor Cal and W. Oregon/Washington Seattle usually gets anywhere from 30-40 inches of rain some years more some less San Fran gets 20-30 inches. Also, No one from the East coast or midwest should comment on the Pacific Northwest in terms of weather or geography. I have visited and driven through these regions and for the most part these places are flat, flat, and flat some more you could be standing in Wisconsin and see all the way to Michigan. Give me green, hills, water and clean air. Pacific Northwest is truly gods country. Also before I finish Texas uh West Texas is brown, flat, hot, and ugly, North Texas is flat, humid, oh and what do you know, Dallas gets more rain than Seattle. Southeast Texas flat, humid, and air pollution that rivals So Cal/Phoenix/Vegas. By the way I have heard some of the most ridiculous comments about Seattle weather oh we get 250 days of rain it rains nine months!! really so that means that Seattle must get 250 inches of rain or 300 inches of rain. Am I the only reasonable person on this forum? technically Seattle gets 155 days of precipitation and about 155 days of sun the other 55 are partly cloudy just for everyone information. Now these numbers are AVERAGES some years can be more or less. Bottom line, I learned that you don't judge a place by weather and there is only one place that gets year round perfect weather and that is Tijuana errrrrrrr San Diego, CA!!!!

[Sean_Harrington]

Originally Posted by Seattletony

Dallas gets more rain than Seattle. By the way I have heard some of the most ridiculous comments about Seattle weather oh we get 250 days of rain it rains nine months!! really so that means that Seattle must get 250 inches of rain or 300 inches of rain. Am I the only reasonable person on this forum? technically Seattle gets 155 days of precipitation and about 155 days of sun the other 55 are partly cloudy just for everyone information. !!!

You made some very good points! I have lived in NYC Los Angeles, and now Northern Arizona. I have found Arizona to be the most depressing place I have ever lived. The 300 days of sunshine have done me no good at all. There are many other factors that make a place livable.

Funny, friends in Phoenix always tell me how terrible the weather is where I am 90 mi. North, because we get more rain, and some snow, very funny, I never call them when it's 115 degrees in Summer, or when they have smog alerts in the WINTER (unheard of even in Los Angeles)


Other than sunshine, I'd rather be in a place where I can have a LIFE. I am heading to coastal WA in 12 days.

[compltlyme]

Originally Posted by Sean_Harrington

You made some very good points! I have lived in NYC Los Angeles, and now Northern Arizona. I have found Arizona to be the most depressing place I have ever lived. The 300 days of sunshine have done me no good at all. There are many other factors that make a place livable.

Funny, friends in Phoenix always tell me how terrible the weather is where I am 90 mi. North, because we get more rain, and some snow, very funny, I never call them when it's 115 degrees in Summer, or when they have smog alerts in the WINTER (unheard of even in Los Angeles)


Other than sunshine, I'd rather be in a place where I can have a LIFE. I am heading to coastal WA in 12 days.

I can so relate to what you are saying. Everyone, where I lived in the Palm Springs area, thought I was insane to come up here. "How could I leave the sunshine?" But they seem to forget those months and months of breathing nothing but air conditioned air, because being outside is unbearable. They seem to forget that when you want to do anything you have to drive hours and sit in traffic for even more because everyone else wants to do the same things at the same time. They seem to forget this, all at the mere mention of "rain."

I have been here for a year and a half now and I have seen it all... from almost record rains to days with no power, being stuck due to the ice on this hill.... And I am good... I have a life outside of an air conditioned car, office, house. Seattle is awesome... and as for the air... seems clean to me as compared to where I came from. I hope we can keep it that way.

Today at almost New Years Eve... here is my neck of the woods... We have sunny blue skies and snow on the ground. And Seattle is a stones throw away. Wonder what I want to do today...

WELCOME TO WASHINGTON!!!

[klpeake]

Originally Posted by justin

I moved to Phoenix with my wife in July of 06 from WA state. Our primary reason was the weather. Nice to visit, but gray skies, rain, sleet, snow etc. is too much for us.

Justin,

How long did you live in WA and where did you live?

Karol

[Seattletony]

Does anyone ever notice that on a national level for weather forcast they never mention the air quality. Having sun is only good when you can comfortably be out and enjoy it. I know for a fact Phoenix gets close to 100 bad air days a year most of those days are in the winter/late spring but people there shrugged it off like it was no big deal!! imagine that. Also why isn't the weather considered "bad" when it is so hot you can bake a cake on a sidewalk. Like I said I will take overcast and light rain where I can still be out and about over living in air conditioning six months out of the year. By the way, when the air polution is bad you can't see the sun and the skies aren't blue.

[Sean_Harrington]

Originally Posted by Seattletony

Does anyone ever notice that on a national level for weather forcast they never mention the air quality. Having sun is only good when you can comfortably be out and enjoy it. I know for a fact Phoenix gets close to 100 bad air days a year most of those days are in the winter/late spring but people there shrugged it off like it was no big deal!! imagine that. Also why isn't the weather considered "bad" when it is so hot you can bake a cake on a sidewalk. Like I said I will take overcast and light rain where I can still be out and about over living in air conditioning six months out of the year. By the way, when the air polution is bad you can't see the sun and the skies aren't blue.

Thanks compltlyme!

Here in Northern AZ, like I said, it's still sunny just about all the time, and after our non existant "Spring" which is just DRY and warm and FIRE SEASON, I can't wait for the rain to start. It's no fun to keep your valuables by the front door, incase of the dreaded EVACUATION, but it's sunny!!!

Friends from Phoenix came up here, for the first time in two years recently. They can't come here more, because it's "too cold". It was NOVEMBER and it was 69 and SUNNY, and they were SHIVERING, and telling me how "COLD" it was. Funny thing, nobody mentions the fact that even in Phoenix, it can dip down into the 20s at night in the Winter, but it's SUNNY!

Oddly, most people who develop this SUN or nothing attitude are usually from the NE or midwest.

I spent a beautiful SUNNY day here sitting, depressed staring out the window, because THERES NOTHING TO DO here. I should be packing! I could go hang at the bar with the local low life community, go buy METH, or ride up and down the same road all day on an ATV, very tempting; BUT IT'S SUNNY!!!!!