Seattle's Weather Again...

[lijohy]

Originally Posted by lido

We live in Las Vegas, and also have a daughter that has 3 years of high school left. It's just the opposite here. Kids can't go outside and play till the sun goes down. Feel like a bat. Sun day in and day out is a bummer. When a take dd to school in the morning I always joke that it is so clear and sunny. Would love just to see one cloud in the sky. Cloudy raniny days put me in a great mood. I get so domestic. Hubby doesn't want to move to Washington becuase of what the rain factor. I must be a strange as I love cool windy cloudy rainy weather. I always have.

Yeah, the SW is bunk is that respect (among countless others imo) because you can't even take a walk outside before 7/8 o' clock. So sad to see playgrounds and parks empty all summer long in AZ, especially when they waste so much precious water to keep the fields green. At least when you go out hiking/jogging/walking dog or whatever in the NW you don't have to worry about you, your kids, or pets suffering from heatstroke. I can;t even walk my man's dog down here because she just pants non stop and the ground scorches her paws- even the dirt is burning hot. The park is not an option as the heat is too intense for either me or the pup to enjoy being out.

[WANative]

Actually I havent had to wait for a table at any restaurant but I gave Claim Jumper and Cheesecake Factory as examples because they are very popular in Seattle and people will wait up to an hour for a table.

Regarding the sunny weather making people happy--it does make most people happy but there are other things that were bothersome in Seattle--heavy traffic and high cost of housing--those coupled with the weather is what made me move. Again, I think Seattle is beautiful and will do my best to make as many trips back as possible but i would NEVER want to live there again. I just pulled up the KOMO weather forecast and it looks like you have a nice weekend ahead--enjoy!!

Originally Posted by SaltyDawg

You don't have to wait for a table at Claim Jumper, Cheescake Factory et al? Who cares? They're just lousy, overpriced chain restaurants that you can find an exact replica of in any city in the US.

To each his own. I'd probably spend all my time kvetching if I had to live in Vegas, Phoenix, LA, etc, but I'm lucky enough to live here, and the more I travel, the more I appreciate it.

As I tell all transplants I talk to who are unsure - don't buy a home here if it takes sunny weather to make you happy.

[lijohy]

Originally Posted by YoAdrian

Ah, at last, a kindred spirit! The weather is one of the things attracting me to the PNW, and we plan on moving there in the spring of '09. Probably Portland, but maybe Seattle.

Yea! Either place has its perks for sure!

I agree ... cool, cloudy, rainy days are the BEST. So comfy and cozy and relaxing. Having the low-lying clouds overhead is like having a big, fluffy security blanket over your head. I could go all year without seeing the sun. It hurts my eyes and burns my skin. Blah!

Totally Agree!!!

So, I've been doing some research on my own, but for those who are there on the ground ... how is the weather in Seattle compared with points farther south, like Portland? Is there any significant difference? We've been leaning toward Portland, because my wife loves the environmental ethos down there, but since I work in a specialized field, I figure I might have more job opportunities in the Seattle area. If there's any difference in the weather that favors Seattle, that may well tip the scales for me.

The weather is pretty much the same. Mild seasons, overcast a lot. Seattle is right on the Puget Sound so we might get a tad more fog and moisture during th winter and early spring, but they are both great places. Seattle has a huge green scene as well, and I think your wife would enjoy it. The economy and job market is much better in Seattle than Portland from what my Portland transplanted-to-Seattle buddies tell me, but I am sure it depends on what you are going to be doing.

[lijohy]

Originally Posted by mayfair

I agree with you about the lack of variety. No fireflies, no crickets, no real thunderstorms, few snowstorms. Summer nights may not have many mosquitos, but there is also no sound but barking dogs and road noise- there aren't any "heat bugs" or crickets. No cardinals, either.

Winter is very flat. Sure, there's no snow to shovel and your nose hairs don't freeze, but the gray can be wearing in its monotony.

You want to talk about dogs- try going to this third worldesque city of Tucson AZ! People leave their dogs out day and night in extreme heat and animal control is constantly removing pets. I hear dogs barking from every direction at night and I am staying in what people consider a nice area of the town.

I live on a residential Seattle street and if dogs start barking the owners always get them inside promptly, myself included. It never bothers me, but in Tucson I have had to call the police many times due to dogs barking literally for hours in every direction at night- I never have experienced anything like it before. Reminds me of a poor 3rd world region, or what I imagine one to be like. I have heard kids and women screaming as well from several different homes around here. Sad.

In Seattle there are plenty of beautiful birds, Flickers, Swallows, Sparrows, Bald Eagles, Hawks, Horned and Barn Owls, Herons, Ravens, and many more! My mom has at least five feeders around her home and is really into bird watching. She always goes to Wild Birds Unlimited in Bothell. We got a lot of hummingbirds too! Check out this link to read about the different species:
BirdWeb - Browse Birds

[Rubyvroom]

Originally Posted by lijohy

I think its funny how a lot of folks who complain about Seattle long for Arizona or other places with 100 degree temps. I am in Tucson right now and can't stand the heat here...I mean sunny days are nice but every single day is too durn much! I get depressed with all the sun, its almost like the sky is mocking humans with its oppressive heat.

Hear, hear! As someone who has lived in both Tucson and San Diego I completely get that. I used to describe the weather in San Diego as the tyranny of eternal sunshine. I would long for rain and clouds. Every year when we had May Gray and June Gloom all the other sun worshipers were miserable but I'd be happy as a clam.

Seriously though I'm glad that we have places that suit both types of people. I'm glad there's a place like Seattle that suits me and places like San Diego for the sun worshipers.

[WANative]

Originally Posted by Rubyvroom

Seriously though I'm glad that we have places that suit both types of people. I'm glad there's a place like Seattle that suits me and places like San Diego for the sun worshipers.

Agreed. Seattle isnt for everyone and neither is California or the desert. Its great that we live in a country that offers so much variance that we can all live in the climate that we want and still be in the same country. Just imagine if you couldnt stand the sun or heat and were born in mexico!!

[ElektroDragon]

Well call me weird, but I think I suffer from RSAD instead of SAD, so I can't wait to move over there! Gloomy dark weather energizes me and makes me want to go hiking. Could be a result of a paranoid fear of flying insects though.