So...it's not really Rainy here. (Sammamish, Oak Harbor: to live, activities, transit)

[pikabike]

Originally Posted by AADAD

Thanks for the replies. I am about to get new shoes for my 4Runner and wanted to estimate the amount of snow. The interesting thing remains that North interstate 5 has ruts similar to Alaska so I assume that people drive studded tires which is why I thought that it snows/ice quite a bit.

Those ruts are dramatic closer to Edmonds and I am at a loss to explain that. Alaska replaced the Glenn Highway after 10 years after the ruts became so pronounced it could launch your vehicle into the next lane, but in Alaska it SNOWS...

Southern CA had big ruts on I5 when I drove it, too. The big factor is volume of traffic, particularly semi-trailers. Includes tandems and triple trailers--a lot of weight.

Where high volume of heavy big rigs go, the roads get worn much faster.

[Canamlian]

Houston just got almost as rain in one storm as Seattle gets in a year on average. Will have more by the time the rain stops.

[Botev1912]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

I would attribute it you having beginner's luck. I have been here 23 years, and most years there will be rain from late September through June, then none at all from July 5 until September. This spring was unusually dry, whether from global warming or some other reason I don't know. We did have record rain in late winter/early spring, so this dry weather can be appreciated without worry.

https://weather.com/news/news/seattl...ring-2016-2017

Actually this spring (along with the winter) was the wettest on record. It stopped raining in May.

[Botev1912]

Originally Posted by pikabike

How many days was that? In 2012 it went 66 days without rain, IIRC.

But not consecutive. This summer, we had 55 consecutive days without rain and only 1 rain day ruined a much longer record which could've been close to 80 days.

[Inkpoe]

Originally Posted by AADAD

Thanks for the replies. I am about to get new shoes for my 4Runner and wanted to estimate the amount of snow. The interesting thing remains that North interstate 5 has ruts similar to Alaska so I assume that people drive studded tires which is why I thought that it snows/ice quite a bit.

Those ruts are dramatic closer to Edmonds and I am at a loss to explain that. Alaska replaced the Glenn Highway after 10 years after the ruts became so pronounced it could launch your vehicle into the next lane, but in Alaska it SNOWS...

That could be attributed to PSCZ, which has an effect between Seattle and Everett. I have friends who live in the Edmonds/Kenmore area, and I remember we were at their house when it started snowing really really hard. My husband and I decided to cut our visit short because we know how snow events really affect traffic. It was the strangest thing ever when we finally got to south of DT because it was sunny and partially clear. Our friends said it was still snowing hard and were amazed there was nothing on our side of town. That narrow band of PSCZ does rain/snow just a bit harder than the other areas of Seattle.

OP, did you say you live on Whidbey Island? Do expect to see less rain there. Seattle rains almost 2x as more.

[SunAndRain808]

Originally Posted by AADAD

We moved in April and so far we have not had but a sprinkle or two. Is this due to the global warming or is it traditionally not to wet in the summer months?

This is exactly the BIGGEST mistake a lot of transplants make when moving to Washington State. And that is, visiting Washington during the late Spring or summer season. They think that Washington is nice, sunny and warm year round. When winter comes, the days are shorter and it's definitely colder outside. If it's sunny during a winter day, it's usually REALLY REALLY COLD outside. I know some folks from my previous church who moved back to California or back to their home state because they made the mistake of visiting here during the summer season, only to find out that they could not handle the late fall, winter and early spring seasons here.

[Seacove]

Originally Posted by SunAndRain808

This is exactly the BIGGEST mistake a lot of transplants make when moving to Washington State. And that is, visiting Washington during the late Spring or summer season. They think that Washington is nice, sunny and warm year round. When winter comes, the days are shorter and it's definitely colder outside. If it's sunny during a winter day, it's usually REALLY REALLY COLD outside. I know some folks from my previous church who moved back to California or back to their home state because they made the mistake of visiting here during the summer season, only to find out that they could not handle the late fall, winter and early spring seasons here.

So true. If it's sunny outside in the winter, be prepared for how cold it might be. Those clouds give us a nice balmy blanket of warmth that keeps our typical winter temperatures in the 40s. Once or twice we usually get several days of the super clear sunny and cold days. When the clouds return, we get to go back to light waterproof jackets.

[Flightoficarus87]

After the cold, wet winter we had, I'm definitely enjoying this drier, sunnier than normal summer we've been having.

But don't let it fool you - the rain and the grey WILL be back!

[AADAD]

Originally Posted by SunAndRain808

This is exactly the BIGGEST mistake a lot of transplants make when moving to Washington State. And that is, visiting Washington during the late Spring or summer season. They think that Washington is nice, sunny and warm year round. When winter comes, the days are shorter and it's definitely colder outside. If it's sunny during a winter day, it's usually REALLY REALLY COLD outside. I know some folks from my previous church who moved back to California or back to their home state because they made the mistake of visiting here during the summer season, only to find out that they could not handle the late fall, winter and early spring seasons here.

No Mistake. We visited in February and March (and during the last wind storm). Being from Alaska I can assure you I know cold. We don't mind the rain, in fact we like it. When I came down the last time it was -72 in the Yukon. We know cold

[franklin42]

Originally Posted by Flightoficarus87

After the cold, wet winter we had, I'm definitely enjoying this drier, sunnier than normal summer we've been having.

But don't let it fool you - the rain and the grey WILL be back!

Good, can't wait. So over this weather.