Seriously, How do Locals Deal with 200 + Days of Overcast? (Seattle: new construction, pros and cons)

[zdogg]

I drink a lot. And I take Vitamin D, though I'm sporadic about it. But I also bundle up in my best puffy jacket and head out to the hiking trails. Something about being in the wood really helps my mood. We also make two trips to warmer climes during the winter. I'm really a warm weather kind of gal but circumstances have us anchored in Seattle for the time being. Last summer was a treat for me: 6 weeks of sun and no rain! Woot! But it wasn't nearly as long as I'd like it to have been.

[skidamarink]

I don't get Seasonal Affective Disorder, perhaps because I grew up in the bitter cold Upper Midwest for most of my life, where the majority of winter's are without sunshine + blankets of ice & snow everywhere (although the extreme summers compensate for it). What makes me more depressed is extreme weather behavior, such as biting winds or extremely humid temperatures that nearly choke me. And quite frankly, sunshine makes me tired and fatigued. I would sit outside in July for two hours straight in the sunlight in Seattle, and when I got back inside I felt very tired as if I just swam 50 laps.

I sometimes wonder how dark-skinned black people can survive out here without getting rickets disease.

[hubey21]

Originally Posted by Rcsligar

I understand that there is an official thread about the climate here; however, there are some specific questions I'd like to ask.
I understand the argument that "constant overcast" is better than 4-6 months of extreme heat, but I still personally believe that sunshine is somewhat essential to mental health. I know that's just my opinion but I think it's pretty valid.
What activities do people partake in during the constant drizzle/downpour? Some activities are impossible to execute pleasurably in those conditions.
Is there a nearby area that people go to to catch rays every once in a while. I heard that the sun shines a little more in Wentachee, I also heard that people fly to Hawaii.
Lastly, overall do you think the pros outweigh the cons? I'm curious to see what people think.
I visited this city a couple months ago and really enjoyed it. Capitol Hill is great, I love the downtown and I love Seattle University. Cool place besides the polar opposite weather of Florida, haha.

What activities do people partake in during the constant drizzle/downpour? Constant is a matter of opinion and downpour is pretty rare. "Mizzle" is what I'd describe the rain as, a misty drizzle. Even with the mizzle, I have friends that still bike, still play basketball, still run etc. It's all a matter of durability. How much are you willing to handle before you say "f@ck this?"

Is there a nearby area that people go to to catch rays every once in a while. I heard that the sun shines a little more in Wentachee, I also heard that people fly to Hawaii. I can't personally comment on this since I'm not a frequenter of "catching rays."

Lastly, overall do you think the pros outweigh the cons? I'm curious to see what people think.
I visited this city a couple months ago and really enjoyed it. Capitol Hill is great, I love the downtown and I love Seattle University. Cool place besides the polar opposite weather of Florida, haha. I'd say the pros vastly outweigh the cons. There are mountains everywhere, national parks everywhere, Vancouver, B.C. 2 hours away, Portland 2 hours away, lots of sights and places to visit. It's also a very dog friendly area. I recently found an apartment complex that has NO weight restrictions. That's almost unheard of where I moved from (D.C.) The fact that the temperature nestles neatly between 40 and 70 degrees year round with hints of 80-90 degree weather in August-September, makes you very comfortable to go out and do things in the Summer. If clouds and mizzle bother you, and you are a person whose motivation comes from seeing the fiery yellow ball in the sky, you're better off limiting yourself to visits in July-September.

Hope that helped. Good luck in your decision and, if you do move, finding a nice home.

[ctr88]

A couple of things. I lived in San Diego CA the last 7 years (grew up in bitter cold Vermont). I have actually become incredibly bored and tired of the San Diego weather. It is like groundhog day and sunny seemingly about 320 days a year. Also all that sun produces a ugly treeless brown landscape much of the year. This is the case for much of CA and the southwest. I have spent time in AZ and New Mexico too and I am personally totally sick of blasting sunshine and brown treeless landscapes.

Also, for fair skinned caucasion peoeple, the climate in Southern CA, the southwest, etc... is horrible for your skin. I see people who grew up in San Diego or have spent most of their life here and they can be 38 years old and in great physical shape but their face looks 53! They just age terribly with lots of wrinkles. Then I go back to Vermont where it's cloudy a lot of the year and people have much less wrinkles and age in their faces. This is the same for Seattle. So all the sunshine & dry weather just tears up your complexion too. You may be able to do all these outdoor activities in places like San Diego all year, but you will look 10 years older than you are from sun damage. So I actually find myself wanting to go outside LESS in super sunny hot places because of the power of the sun and MORE in cloudy overcast areas.

[Seacove]

I agree on how the sun affects your complexion and you see it in various parts of the country. We returned to Denver a few years ago for a short time and as someone with very light skin/hair, it felt like I got sunburned just walking to the car. And you see it in all the sunny climates, particularly in the face and neck. I appreciate the sun when it's out and it's great when I do work-related travel to CA but my skin feels better here than anywhere.

[texastrigirl]

Originally Posted by flyingsaucermom

We also left Austin (2006) and I do NOT miss the humidity and those lovely autumn days we had in the upper 90's. However on occasion I find myself with a sudden urge to get into the car and go to Shady Grove, or Spider House, or Hut's, or Hoover's, or Taco Cabana, or Salt Lick, or Mother's, or Kerby Lane, or Taco Shack, or (ad infinitum)... *sigh*... well, that's what I miss... not that those haven't been somewhat replaced with sushi, Pa and Thai

Agree. Miss the restaurants more than anything. Finally learned to make my own Chuys Jalapeno Ranch dip

[iskray917]

Originally Posted by ctr88

A couple of things. I lived in San Diego CA the last 7 years (grew up in bitter cold Vermont). I have actually become incredibly bored and tired of the San Diego weather. It is like groundhog day and sunny seemingly about 320 days a year. Also all that sun produces a ugly treeless brown landscape much of the year. This is the case for much of CA and the southwest. I have spent time in AZ and New Mexico too and I am personally totally sick of blasting sunshine and brown treeless landscapes.

Also, for fair skinned caucasion peoeple, the climate in Southern CA, the southwest, etc... is horrible for your skin. I see people who grew up in San Diego or have spent most of their life here and they can be 38 years old and in great physical shape but their face looks 53! They just age terribly with lots of wrinkles. Then I go back to Vermont where it's cloudy a lot of the year and people have much less wrinkles and age in their faces. This is the same for Seattle. So all the sunshine & dry weather just tears up your complexion too. You may be able to do all these outdoor activities in places like San Diego all year, but you will look 10 years older than you are from sun damage. So I actually find myself wanting to go outside LESS in super sunny hot places because of the power of the sun and MORE in cloudy overcast areas.

Correct assessment. I am from San Diego. People here whining about clouds and rain need to stop and get the hell out of western washington.

[cjg5]

Originally Posted by iskray917

People here whining about clouds and rain need to stop and get the hell out of western washington.

Can't wait to get out of living in western Washington, not nearly so much because of the clouds, but so many rainy days. But again, it (western WA) is home. Born and raised. I do not plan on leaving the state however, unless it is to Alaska. Central/Eastern Washington is my immediate goal, after my son gets a little older and I have more money saved to make a move.

[ctr88]

People who's ancestry comes from Northern Europe didn't evolve over thousands of years for climates like SoCal and the Southwest U.S. Their skin tone is much better suited for climates like Seattle. Which is much more similar in terms of cloud cover and latitude to Scotland, Ireland, England, Germany, Scandinavia, Netherlands, Poland, etc...

[Seacove]

Yep, German and Scottish here.