Winter - How depressed do you get? (Seattle, Bellevue: living, shops)

[cjg5]

Also keep in mind that for every hour of daylight we get shorted around the winter solstice, is made up for with long hours of daylight around the summer solstice.

Texastrigirl is right in that the spring warm up into summer is a very gradual process here.

[usernametaken]

You should not have posted this question in the past two days! What a gorgeous crisp and sunny winter day today. I just got back from San Diego yesterday, and was even starting to miss the rain. But today was brilliant.

As others have pointed out, the beauty of this area helps make up for a lot of the bad weather days.

However, since I have skin type 4.5 on the Fitzpatrick scale, I need more sun than most native Seattleites, and I think my genetics are not amenable to what seems like 1 hr of sunshine a week in some winter months. I am therefore trying to visit California twice during the worst months. I have very low vitamin D, and prefer direct sunlight to supplements or major diet changes, so I try to walk or sit outside as soon as the sun comes out between November-February.

My one big problem has been that because I work for myself, dreary weather days often make me sleep in late and then I wake up, have lunch shortly after, and am still lethargic. Then I sleep at 2 am and repeat a bad cycle. This does not cause me depression, but I feel like I am wasting my time a lot during the bad weather days and accomplishing nothing. Hopefully I will change this asap, especially after the California break.

[StealthRabbit]

I am therefore trying to visit California twice during the worst months. ... will change this asap, especially after the California break.

I use the $39 - $79 sun break flights to CA, Reno, LV, FREQUENTLY. (I have been @ home (WA) all of 5 days since Oct

But... I need to get home by 30 April to pay my $14,400 annual property taxes there (up from $800)

[pnwretired]

It's not the winter that bothers me it is the constant gloom. Gloom can happen in spring and fall too. I love the winter season; hate the gloom, sick of it and ready to move. Have been here since 1983. Beautiful when the skies are blue but blue skies in this area are few and far between.

[jm31828]

I have been here 3 and a half years now, but so far don't have any issues at all with the gloom/rain. I suppose it depends on what one is used to- if I would have moved here from California or somewhere else that is sunny and warm all winter I'm sure it would be tough, but I came from the Midwest where things are much worse in the winter- as someone else mentioned I am used to winters being bitterly cold, with the landscape being completely brown and dead looking all winter so even with the more frequent sun we got back there, that dead landscape made winters depressing. So here, even with the rain and clouds, it's not depressing to me in the least because the grass is still green, you have all the evergreens, and many types of "leafy" trees and bushes remain green, so the landscape still looks alive and that is great. Add to that the beautiful scenery and it more than makes up for the gloom.

[lady fern]

When it is really dreary you won't be able to see the snow capped mountains to cheer you up but it will be green everywhere as there is no shortage of coniferous trees.
I always found that going up to the mountains for snowshoeing cheered me up as I enjoy snow much more than rain.

[Blondebaerde]

On a scale of one to ten, would say about a three to four at the lowest. Good to just make the best of it, in my view.

I lived in NorCal 7 years: motorcycle riding season was 10-11 months for the hardcore. Here, 6-7 months though I snuck out yesterday for a cold ride (clear, though).

15 years here, I take up a distinct set of winter hobbies: art galleries, home improvement (indoors), coffee houses, writing, working a few more hours. Different set of clothes, too.

Christmas can be treated as a big event here, which seems like a great way to spend time to me from c. mid-Dec through New Year's. There is sometimes snow. Even if not, great excuse to wander downtown with family or sweetheart and enjoy everything there is to do. Heartwarming, to me.

Still, there are occasional gorgeous days outside (like yesterday, Feb 7) which I embrace. They are like a mini vacation for just a few hours. High 40s, sun, that's as good as it gets in February.

To your point, I don't like it but deal-with because the upsides hugely outweigh the downsides vs. my life in CA (I own property, save money, and have a clear path to retirement. Lot of professionals, low crime, and clean air. None of the above would be possible for me in-particular in California).

Northern Virginia has not-dissimilar cloudy days and occasional snow. Not the same as Seattle, but not entirely different, either. Wouldn't worry on that too much: there will be plenty enough to worry about (IMO Seattle, like parts of Virginia and other areas in the South, can be rather provincial and quaint (=annoying)).

To your other point, I pack up and take three days weekends to the desert at least once every winter, usually sometime Feb-April. Victorville, San Diego, Las Cruces, etc.: somewhere with lots of sun and little rain. Very refreshing and revitalizing to attitude.

Too, nothing stops you from finding an open mountain pass (there are several) and driving into central and eastern WA. They are sometimes a bit warmer (not always) and likewise sometimes sunnier during the winter. Flights to CA are relatively cheap, too (SF and LA being favorite quick weekend getaways).

[angelenogirl]

Originally Posted by Blondebaerde

Still, there are occasional gorgeous days outside (like yesterday, Feb 7) which I embrace. They are like a mini vacation for just a few hours. High 40s, sun, that's as good as it gets in February.

My car's temperature gauge said it was 54 yesterday. And it was sunny. Yes, I wore flip-flops.

[usernametaken]

So you stay in hotel and motels for all these months in CA and NV? I would hate to do that, plus would miss my friends and hobbies in the Greater Seattle area.

Is there a site you use for the sun-break flights? I tend to use up my frequent flyer miles when they have specials to California.

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

I use the $39 - $79 sun break flights to CA, Reno, LV, FREQUENTLY. (I have been @ home (WA) all of 5 days since Oct

But... I need to get home by 30 April to pay my $14,400 annual property taxes there (up from $800)

[xcalgal]

I thought I would go crazy last November and December. I think I heard that there was only one day that it did not rain for those two months and it was not just a misty rain. I love the rain but for heaven's sake...I was starting to grow webbed feet. Off to California and then hawaii soon for my dose of sunshine (which I have to keep reminding myself that I hated and was the reason I moved to Seattle). Anyway, the combination of beauty and cool weather here with trips to sun occasionally....perfection.