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The gray and gloom is more pronounced because it's also very far north and there is no white snow to reflect any sun you get. That said, you can go outdoors all winter in Seattle so you don't just get stuck indoors listening to the furnace run because it's below zero.
It also depends on how your tolerance for going out in the cold rain is. Some people go out hiking all winter, others don't like it. The scenery is spectacular all year round and you can go to the mountains to find snow and ski or get a flight to Arizona for winter sun.
We also get some sunnier winters (had many in recent years) and then darker ones like this one. A bigger issue lately is wildfire smoke in summer keeping you indoors with an air filter running.
People always talk about Seattle winters being "mild" but when I look at the forecast I see consistent highs in the 30s and 40s. As someone more accustomed to the Sun Belt and California that is cold af. When we get that weather with rain it's considered an awful day and we bunker inside until it's over.
I get what it's like on the other side, though. I consider a 90° high beautiful. I can do yard work in the morning, hit the pool in the afternoon, and eat dinner outside in the evening. When people from other climates call that miserably hot I'm scratching my head.
People always talk about Seattle winters being "mild" but when I look at the forecast I see consistent highs in the 30s and 40s. As someone more accustomed to the Sun Belt and California that is cold af. When we get that weather with rain it's considered an awful day and we bunker inside until it's over.
It does depend on what you're comparing it to. If you come from very cold winters that dip below zero, 30s and 40s are mild. There are also fewer days with icy roads or snow.
It does depend on what you're comparing it to. If you come from very cold winters that dip below zero, 30s and 40s are mild. There are also fewer days with icy roads or snow.
Temperature alone is not sufficient to convey how cool or warm it feels. You need wet bulb temperatures and dew points to determine what the air will feel like. A Seattle 40 will feel like Chicago/NYC 50+. And it works the opposite way in the summer, a Seattle 90 is a Chicago/NYC 80 or less. Less water in the air means less heat transfer happening from you to the air.
Temperature alone is not sufficient to convey how cool or warm it feels. You need wet bulb temperatures and dew points to determine what the air will feel like. A Seattle 40 will feel like Chicago/NYC 50+. And it works the opposite way in the summer, a Seattle 90 is a Chicago/NYC 80 or less. Less water in the air means less heat transfer happening from you to the air.
Since when is Seattle particularly less humid than anywhere else in the winter?
Since when is Seattle particularly less humid than anywhere else in the winter?
Sorry, I was incorrect, and upon further research I learned I need to do more research to be able to explain it. But it does have something to do with dew point and relative humidity, and from personal experience, I have gone from Seattle to nyc and vice Versa multiple times, the temperature will be similar, but I will feel cooler / hotter in NYC.
Sorry, I was incorrect, and upon further research I learned I need to do more research to be able to explain it. But it does have something to do with dew point and relative humidity, and from personal experience, I have gone from Seattle to nyc and vice Versa multiple times, the temperature will be similar, but I will feel cooler / hotter in NYC.
Anecdotally I feel like humidity makes a big difference in the summer, but the wind and sun make a bigger difference in the winter. A still, sunny day can feel quite nice even with temps in the 30s. On the other hand 50 degrees with biting winds can be very cold. Here in Texas our nice still/sunny winter days usually have highs > 60°. When the temp does drop below that, it's often because of a midwestern cold front coming in that also brings clouds, rain, and cold winds. Hence 30s and 40s here can often feel extremely cold while 30s and 40s in Maine or something may feel quite nice (particularly when appropriately dressed).
But Seattle--unlike say Denver--certainly isn't known for having picturesque sunny winter days, so I'm a bit confused how the cold would feel particularly mild there. I'm guessing it's more that you simply know how to dress for it and are acclimated. Personally I've never lived in the PNW or visited in the winter so I don't have any first hand experience.
Anecdotally I feel like humidity makes a big difference in the summer, but the wind and sun make a bigger difference in the winter. A still, sunny day can feel quite nice even with temps in the 30s. On the other hand 50 degrees with biting winds can be very cold. Here in Texas our nice still/sunny winter days usually have highs > 60°. When the temp does drop below that, it's often because of a midwestern cold front coming in that also brings clouds, rain, and cold winds. Hence 30s and 40s here can often feel extremely cold while 30s and 40s in Maine or something may feel quite nice (particularly when appropriately dressed).
But Seattle--unlike say Denver--certainly isn't known for having picturesque sunny winter days, so I'm a bit confused how the cold would feel particularly mild there. I'm guessing it's more that you simply know how to dress for it and are acclimated. Personally I've never lived in the PNW or visited in the winter so I don't have any first hand experience.
I agree with this. Having grown up in Chicago and now living in Seattle, if anything 35 or 40 degrees in Seattle feels colder to me than in Chicago --- although I think it's just because that actually is cold for here, whereas in Chicago I'm comparing it to the benchmark of days in the single digits or below zero. (Also, the 30s with rain is a very different story from the 30s with no precipitation or with light and fluffy snow)
I have traveled extensively for decades and totally disagree with you about the Tampa Bay area. Though there have been the red tide issues to some extent, it's not even remotely as bad as you described. Never in my 40+ years of visiting there have I seen a fish kill of any measurable extend. Other than that, you're assessments are fair.
Both Portland and Denver seem like great places that offer a lot of the amenities we’re looking for, thanks for your response. A few questions about both:
For Denver, the sun and mountain situation is amazing, but where do people typically go to escape the snowy cold? Anything within a day drive? Also, besides the UV rays, are there other health conditions that I should worry about that are specific to the climate? Specifically around the lifespan, cancer, and going through pregnancy?
I am not sure where people go to escape the snowy cold within a day's drive but one friend of mine has an indoor Terrarium -greenhouse which is within a short walk inside the east wing of his Mansion.
I agree with this. Having grown up in Chicago and now living in Seattle, if anything 35 or 40 degrees in Seattle feels colder to me than in Chicago --- although I think it's just because that actually is cold for here, whereas in Chicago I'm comparing it to the benchmark of days in the single digits or below zero. (Also, the 30s with rain is a very different story from the 30s with no precipitation or with light and fluffy snow)
I agree. The damp cold in Seattle is more uncomfortable at 40 degrees than 40 degrees in the Midwest without rain. And being wet and cold is the worst.
But Seattle winters are overall milder than the sub zero windchills in the Midwest when your eyelashes freeze. If you compare 30s/40s to 30s/40s- I agree Seattle feels colder than Chicago or Milwaukee.
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when is cold and snowy
