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Pac NW can be hit or miss, but does the weather in these cities vary that much? Also if you could choose to live in any of them, which one would it be. Personally I think I'd be partial to Vancouver given all of their high rise living. If you wanted to visit what are the best times? How long is the actual "grey overcast" season in these cities? They are arguably the most beautiful areas on the continent, but the weather for many leaves them underpopulated.
I lived in Seattle for ten years before moving to the 'burbs, but I still live in the metro area. It isn't really as bad as you seem to think as far as weather goes. I've visited both Vancouver WA, and Portand OR, and they are not that much different.
Basically, the entire region is mostly moderate in all the seasons. The skies are grey in the late Fall to early Spring, and blue the rest of the time. The rains are not as heavy as when I lived in the Southwest (Tucson), and the sun is not as harsh. I grew up in southwestern Michigan, and the summers are much like summers there, but not as humid.
If I were to leave this area, I would not move to either Vancouver or Portland, but that is not to say that I think Seattle is better. Rather they are just more of the same.
-I go up a lot in the summer and it seems like they can get much more frequent rainfall in even July through September. Summertime in Vancouver can feel like late spring in Portland sometimes, with a sunny day here and there, but a constant chance of rain.
As someone who spends time on all 3 cities I could not disagree with this statement more. It does not feel like late spring in Vancouver vs Portland. Difference in temp is at most 3-4 degrees F different on any given day which is negligible at best, and something no one can really feel. A constant chance of rain in the summer for Vancouver.... What? All 3 cities barley get a drop of rain in the summer months and are affected by the same weather patterns. There are micro-climates throughout the entire PNW region and from one side of the city to another which affect weather. Portland is about an hour inland from the ocean, go an hour inland in Seattle or Vancouver and you will see the exact same weather.
Visiting all three does give additional perspective, and for the most part you're correct, but living here as a weather junkie I can attest that are, at times, more substantial differences. For example, during the heat wave a couple weeks ago, PDX was in the middle to high 90's, Seattle was in the mid to high 80's, and Vancouver barely reached 80. A 10-20 degree difference between the three cities isn't all that unusual during times of hot weather.
Also, while PDX is inland and sits in a bit of a valley, Seattle and Vancouver are subject to more moderate- but variable- conditions as higher mountains and islands to the west have an effect. And while the general regional weather patterns affect all three, Vancouver gets about 30% more precipitation annually than the other two. It is also sometimes subject to outflow winds and patterns coming down the Fraser River Valley. While usually associated with winter, the outflow (and inflow winds) that occur in Vancouver and Portland are unique and can at times dramatically affect weather in each city.
-I go up a lot in the summer and it seems like they can get much more frequent rainfall in even July through September. Summertime in Vancouver can feel like late spring in Portland sometimes, with a sunny day here and there, but a constant chance of rain.
As someone who spends time on all 3 cities I could not disagree with this statement more. It does not feel like late spring in Vancouver vs Portland. Difference in temp is at most 3-4 degrees F different on any given day which is negligible at best, and something no one can really feel. A constant chance of rain in the summer for Vancouver.... What? All 3 cities barley get a drop of rain in the summer months and are affected by the same weather patterns. There are micro-climates throughout the entire PNW region and from one side of the city to another which affect weather. Portland is about an hour inland from the ocean, go an hour inland in Seattle or Vancouver and you will see the exact same weather.
You are forgetting there is a rainshadow so it won't be the exact same weather all the time. I'm 60 miles sw of Seattle and we get something like 12" more rain and have 15-20 more cloudy days on average than Seattle as we are not in a rain shadow here. Some days I've seen the weather as sunny in Seattle while here it is overcast.
Yeah, I heard the same from Canadians as far as Toronto. I think why Seattle/Portland have reputations for bad weather is that people from California/Southwest tend to move there. They're used to mild winters and a lot of sunny days. I don't think someone from Midwest or even Northeast would be quick to say Seattle has bad weather. Its summers are nice and winters very mild.
I'm from Maryland. I think Seattle's weather is fine tbh. Not perfect but a solid B.
You are forgetting there is a rainshadow so it won't be the exact same weather all the time. I'm 60 miles sw of Seattle and we get something like 12" more rain and have 15-20 more cloudy days on average than Seattle as we are not in a rain shadow here. Some days I've seen the weather as sunny in Seattle while here it is overcast.
First of all Vancouver is not 60-70 F all year... It is usually in the 40s F in the winter and 70s F in the summer. Portland also doesn't have the most snow: statistically it gets less snow on average than both Seattle and Vancouver BC
Correct about snowfall. But Vancouver BC has the three times what Seattle gets, and Seattle has twice what Portland gets. Here are the stats at official reporting stations:
Portland average 2.2 inches
Seattle average: 5.0 inches
Vancouver average 15.0 inches
As an earlier poster mentioned, Portland does get more ice storms due to cold air funneling west through the Columbia gorge. However, this is usually only is a problem in the northern part of the metro.
Correct about snowfall. But Vancouver BC has the three times what Seattle gets, and Seattle has twice what Portland gets. Here are the stats at official reporting stations:
Portland average 2.2 inches
Seattle average: 5.0 inches
Vancouver average 15.0 inches
As an earlier poster mentioned, Portland does get more ice storms due to cold air funneling west through the Columbia gorge. However, this is usually only is a problem in the northern part of the metro.
I'll call bull on that. I've lived in both cities Seattle and Portland. If you measure snow fall at downtown Level like Portland does. Seattle Measures snow fall at Sea Tac Higher elevation. Measuring equal elevation downtown Seattle is at sea level and on a sea The Salish Sea. It has very mild weather Year round compared to the higher elevations.
I'll call bull on that. I've lived in both cities Seattle and Portland. If you measure snow fall at downtown Level like Portland does. Seattle Measures snow fall at Sea Tac Higher elevation. Measuring equal elevation downtown Seattle is at sea level and on a sea The Salish Sea. It has very mild weather Year round compared to the higher elevations.
That is true but you have to go by the official reporting station.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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How do you define crappy weather? For me, that's hot and dry. The wetter and cooler, more overcast is the best.
With the mountains, hills, rivers and lakes, and sound, there are hundreds if not thousands of micro-climates in the pacific NW. For example, Seattle averages 38" a year, yet where I live at 600' elevation just 23 miles east, we average 53".
Portland gets more rain than Seattle, at 43". Go only about 40 miles SE and Sandy, OR gets 70".
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