Question about Olympia or general area... (Seattle: home, schools, to live)

[vk40]

I have been researching the weather in Olympia for some time now, but I have a question that maybe someone could help me with.

We live in Wyoming- my husband, myself, and three teenagers- and drove through Olympia last Sept. returning from a trip to Seattle. We fell in love with the area- actually we fell in love with all of the PNW that we saw!! Just gorgeous. Anyway, we have considered moving to Olympia. We have winters that range from mild to absolutely brutal in Wyoming- but we get a lot of sun during that season. It can be ten below zero, and the sun is just as bright as can be. We usually have about five to six months out of the year that you can get outside comfortably enough- but the rest of the time is either below zero and snowy, or just snowy and wet with temps in the thirties- I'm not a huge fan of snow. Although I realize Olympia does get snow, from what I have read, it doesn't seem to be as intense as in Wyoming. Can anyone who has moved to the Olympia, or PNW area from an area of cold, snowy winters please tell me how the winters compare- and if you find the rainy cold easier/better to deal with?? Thanks in advance!

[Sandy Nelson]

I moved to Olympia from Potsdam, NY, where there are 6 months of snow and winters so cold, you have to plug your car in to keep the oil from freezing.
I've lived in Olympia for 8 years now and would say that during that time on average there is less than one week of snow, and except for last winter, usually very light snow. It's rare for temperatures in the winter months to go below freezing. Winter usually means rainy days, which I can tolerate. The rain is often just a constant drizzle, which doesn't hinder me from going on walks. The summers are glorious with highs in the 80s and hardly any rain at all. One thing I really love are all the evergreen trees. Even in the winter the landscape is green, which is much more cheery than the grey-brown desolate look of bare trees in the NE.

[vk40]

Originally Posted by Sandy Nelson

I moved to Olympia from Potsdam, NY, where there are 6 months of snow and winters so cold, you have to plug your car in to keep the oil from freezing.
I've lived in Olympia for 8 years now and would say that during that time on average there is less than one week of snow, and except for last winter, usually very light snow. It's rare for temperatures in the winter months to go below freezing. Winter usually means rainy days, which I can tolerate. The rain is often just a constant drizzle, which doesn't hinder me from going on walks. The summers are glorious with highs in the 80s and hardly any rain at all. One thing I really love are all the evergreen trees. Even in the winter the landscape is green, which is much more cheery than the grey-brown desolate look of bare trees in the NE.

Thank you so much for your reply!!! This is exactly what I was hoping to hear. I'm like you in that I would much prefer the green landscape rather than the dead look that we have here in the winter. And it seems like we only have two seasons in Wyoming- summer and winter. You go from freezing cold, to suffocating hot weather in a very short time. Eighties sound glorious to me.

[eliette]

I moved to Olympia 1.5 years ago from Maryland. Grew up in Massachusetts. The snow here is minimal--when we had our big (very unusual) snow this winter, I was handing out my 2 snow shovels to all of our neighbors because no one here has them! Here, when it snows, you just wait and in a few hours the rain melts the snow off the roads and you're good to go. The thing that you may miss is that you don't get the bright winter days here that you get in other places. You know when you go outside and it's sunny and you can walk around and listen to the snow crunch under your feet? Not here. Just gray, pretty much all winter. I like it--and I especially love the summertime here, which is spectacular. But I do miss clear, cold winter days sometimes.

[vk40]

Originally Posted by eliette

I moved to Olympia 1.5 years ago from Maryland. Grew up in Massachusetts. The snow here is minimal--when we had our big (very unusual) snow this winter, I was handing out my 2 snow shovels to all of our neighbors because no one here has them! Here, when it snows, you just wait and in a few hours the rain melts the snow off the roads and you're good to go. The thing that you may miss is that you don't get the bright winter days here that you get in other places. You know when you go outside and it's sunny and you can walk around and listen to the snow crunch under your feet? Not here. Just gray, pretty much all winter. I like it--and I especially love the summertime here, which is spectacular. But I do miss clear, cold winter days sometimes.

Thanks so much for your perspective- I really appreciate it! I don't like snow, but I do like the sun during the winter. But I don't get out much in it because of the freezing cold- haha.

[nwcountrygal]

I moved to WA when I was a kid from Montana. I was amazed at the trees and greeen. However it did take me years to decide I liked WA. I missed the ice fishing many sports we did in the winter. Missed the thunder storm rains vrs grey and constant damp. Very much missed the crisp sunny days in winter opposed to the damp grey cold of WA. I still believe 32 degrees here and 10 degrees there affects my body as the same. Wet cold vrs dry cold.

I love WA now... it has such a cluster of differnt climates. Ocean sound mountains and drier climate in eastern WA. You can go ice fishing and do everything to remind you of WY if you cross the mountains. Live in the snow if you want. Mt Rainer is an hour away and you can find snow year round! Now the traffic and more people is the real shocker that it hard to get used to. I live nearby Olympia and if I would move to a city it would be the area of choice for myself.

Good luck!

[vk40]

Originally Posted by nwcountrygal

I moved to WA when I was a kid from Montana. I was amazed at the trees and greeen. However it did take me years to decide I liked WA. I missed the ice fishing many sports we did in the winter. Missed the thunder storm rains vrs grey and constant damp. Very much missed the crisp sunny days in winter opposed to the damp grey cold of WA. I still believe 32 degrees here and 10 degrees there affects my body as the same. Wet cold vrs dry cold.

I love WA now... it has such a cluster of differnt climates. Ocean sound mountains and drier climate in eastern WA. You can go ice fishing and do everything to remind you of WY if you cross the mountains. Live in the snow if you want. Mt Rainer is an hour away and you can find snow year round! Now the traffic and more people is the real shocker that it hard to get used to. I live nearby Olympia and if I would move to a city it would be the area of choice for myself.

Good luck!

More good info- thanks so much!!! One thing I hadn't realized until recently is the lack of thunder, which I just assumed accompanied the WA rains. We don't get a whole lot of rain in WY, but when we do, I do enjoy the thunder- I would miss that. It's nice to know you can travel to a different climate within the state though- there isn't much difference in WY other than the mountain climate, and high desert.

[nwcountrygal]

This time of year you can find an occassional Thunder storm... I do miss them. Winter is just a constant grey damp drizzle shower rain but not normal rain as your used to. It doesn't just come and go it is constant grey drizzle for days at a time. In Puget Sound area if it does snow... anymore I just forget it as allot of people ... it isn't safe to be on the road .. not because of snow but the people don't know how to drive and infanstructure isn't set up for a real snow in WA.. It is really comic how schools close people leave their cars in middle of road or freeway ramp! You came when it was really nice in WA the best it gets! We all live for the summer to come and take the grey away! Long as you are into drives - outdoors - hunting fishing is great! But you have to go to Eastern WA to find deer bigger than a large dog!!! But we have Elk! on that note if you hunt and fish you will be amazed at the regs and prices for licenses.

[jertheber]

There is a huge difference between a Marine climate and anything else, the constant wet and chilly weather can be very hard to acclimate to. People who come to Western Wa from arid climes have no idea about the length of time they'll be spending in a grey, chilly, funk, that gets you down even if you are from here.

I'm retired now and I have noticed a change in my attitude concerning the weather, I'm now needing to get out and enjoy the days I have left, sometimes I find myself wondering if I shouldn't go south in the winter where I can get out and walk slowly, enjoying the mornings with a cup of coffee while strolling the town.

I live twenty miles from Oly and I'm to the west, so we get a little more rain than the inland towns. I love the greenery as many have pointed out, but, (and this is a very big consideration when moving) I wonder where I would choose to live if I had been truly aware of the time I'd be spending in the gloom.

This new view on the weather is due to the fact of my retiring and noticing the weather more because I'm free all day to do what I want excepting for the fact that it is raining much of the time. If you are working I think the weather is not such a deterrent to an active life, you can be active at work or at home after work, having so much free time makes me want to get out more.

[vk40]

Originally Posted by jertheber

There is a huge difference between a Marine climate and anything else, the constant wet and chilly weather can be very hard to acclimate to. People who come to Western Wa from arid climes have no idea about the length of time they'll be spending in a grey, chilly, funk, that gets you down even if you are from here.

I'm retired now and I have noticed a change in my attitude concerning the weather, I'm now needing to get out and enjoy the days I have left, sometimes I find myself wondering if I shouldn't go south in the winter where I can get out and walk slowly, enjoying the mornings with a cup of coffee while strolling the town.

I live twenty miles from Oly and I'm to the west, so we get a little more rain than the inland towns. I love the greenery as many have pointed out, but, (and this is a very big consideration when moving) I wonder where I would choose to live if I had been truly aware of the time I'd be spending in the gloom.

This new view on the weather is due to the fact of my retiring and noticing the weather more because I'm free all day to do what I want excepting for the fact that it is raining much of the time. If you are working I think the weather is not such a deterrent to an active life, you can be active at work or at home after work, having so much free time makes me want to get out more.

Thank you for your honest answer- this is something I have worried about and tossed back and forth in my mind. I am a stay at home mom, and love being out in my yard, etc.. so I can see where that would be a downer. It is the only the darkness and rain that has me concerned about a move to Olympia. No doubt it is a beautiful place, but that beauty comes with a price!