People who have moved to Seattle in the past couple of years, how's the weather? (Vancouver: how much, house)

[scirocco22]

(mod interpose: a mass deletion of numerous posts has taken place in this thread due to off topic posts. For anybody who would like their posts integrated into this thread, please contact me. Thanks.)

[texastrigirl]

Moved here July 2007. Weather was brutal from July 2007-July 2008. Then it got pretty nice and I think this past 12 months has been easy peasy as my kindergartner says. Loved the snow, we have had a gorgeous spring and I am acclimated. We have seen a lot of sun this year - feeling a bit Northern California like actually to me.

[pw72]

Good that this thread is back to what the OP started.

We all can get caught up in "hijacking of threads".

Here is the deal...the jet stream is in an odd place this early summer. Seattle has been abnormally dry and sunny, but just to the south in No Cal, No Nevada, No Utah, and So Idaho, it has been abnormally wet. These patterns will probably "normal-out" over the next couple of months, but it is very unusual.

[texastrigirl]

Oh don't tell me that. I had heard about how 2006-2008 were really atypical weather years and I was hoping this is more how it was "normally". Oh well, I am lovin' it while it lasts.

[toughguy]

It's raining today, and possibly through the weekend. I'm going to the solstice parade tomorrow, so I might get a little wet. Oh well, my lawn needs the water anyway.

[obsidian97]

I'm a solar powered person. I'm used to lots of sun and had problems with winters in Dallas(!).

Don't forget the effect of latitude. When it's crappiest out in the winter, the days are considerably shorter. When it's nicest out in the summer, the days seem to go on and on and on. It's nice.

The mistake I made last winter here was that I was in an interior office all day long, so even when it was sunny out for a bit during the day, I'd miss it. However, in the summer, when I'd get home after work, I'd still have 3 or 4 hours of usable light outside, easy.

The other thing I know people tend to do is to plan a vacation in the winter to go somewhere sunnier for awhile. I think it's just a matter of breaking it up and making sure you take advantage of the sun breaks in the winter as best you can.

(Easier said than done).

[heavyweight]

Originally Posted by JBower

I've already read about 20 or so 'Seattle weather threads' on the subject, and the consensus I've gathered is that 9 months out of the year Seattle is mostly overcast, grey, with a light 'mizzle'. I've considered looking for a new job there as I've had to expand my search area in this weak economy.
So Seattle is a place I've considered.

Aside from the weather, Seattle seems to have a lot going for it, beautiful mountains, hills, culture, etc. But I just can't get past the 'gray' factor that I keep hearing about over and over again. For me, it's a big concern. I HATE gray weather. I lived in Nebraska prior to living in Florida, and I thought Nebraska had WAY too much of the gray depressing skies. It sounds like Seattle has a lot more. Gray skies tend to get me down after only a couple of days, and really zap my energy. I have a lot more energy and optimism when it's bright and sunny.

I'm not here to bash on Seattle or anything, from the pictures I've seen it looks like a beautiful place to live, so please don't anyone get defensive.

I'm curious to know what people who have recently moved to Seattle think about all this? Good and Bad.

To the OP, here is one descriptive answer I've come across on a blog:
"..The first year or two..the weather seems pretty acceptable. Around the 3-year mark for transplants from sunnier places, it starts to gnaw at you. That’s when you notice that the crisp fall weather...arrives for a few days in mid-September. By October, it’s cold and dark and rainy. Then comes November through March. Gray, drizzly, overcast, cold, damp, interspersed with wild wind storms, and some beautiful snow. In March, you get a few days of truly sunny weather again... The next day, it rains and it’s 49 degrees again. ...you’ve been duped into thinking the gloomy weather is done for the season.

... It is true..the summers (which start in late, late, June and end the first week in September) are lovely. You get mostly sunny days, and it stays light so late. It’s warm and clear and beautiful. ...
Someone once said of Seattle and it’s weather: “Living in Seattle is like having a beautiful girlfriend, but she’s sick all the time”. I think that sums it up beautifully.
It’s a lovely place, lots of things to do. But.. if you suspect that you will not do well in gloomy weather, it’s not the place for you. Everyone warned me about all the rain in Seattle. They were wrong. The rain is not an issue... It’s the cold, gray, damp, that gets to you after a while."

I am curious about my tolerance level for the gloom (like the OP), as I weigh Seattle (vs Denver/San Fran/Diego). I work from home, so I'm flexible. I found these comments another helpful tool in the decision making process. As anything else it's just one opinion. Seattle is still on my list. Good luck to you!

[Serena123]

Seattle isn't for you, if you can't handle the gray sky.

I agree,
Seattle is like having a beautiful girlfriend, who is sick all the time...

Coming from the sun ~ Been here several years, and still am not used to the gray... don't mind the rain... it's the gray that gets to me...

[movingwiththewind]

Originally Posted by argo69

I moved to Seattle from Los Angeles a decade ago. The weather here is definitely much more to my liking but the summers are still too hot. Ideally, I guess I'd have to move to Canada (Vancouver BC) for my ideal air-conditioning free summer.

I don't think summers in Vancouver are cooler than in Seattle. Recently, I visited both Seattle and Vancouver in July and found temperatures in Vancouver to be higher. At least, I don't think you will notice any real differences.

[argo69]

Originally Posted by JBower

I HATE gray weather. I lived in Nebraska prior to living in Florida, and I thought Nebraska had WAY too much of the gray depressing skies. It sounds like Seattle has a lot more. Gray skies tend to get me down after only a couple of days, and really zap my energy. I have a lot more energy and optimism when it's bright and sunny.

Seattle is not for you...I might even still say that if you said that gray weather only bothered you a "little" as most people who haven't lived up here for an extended period do not understand what it's like seeing almost no sun for half the year. Seattle is for people like myself who actively LIKE and enjoy gray weather and yep, there are many of us who do.