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But on the other hand I have never lived in snow. Since I prefer cold weather and I enjoy rain I dont think some snow would be a big deal but I also dont want huge amounts of snow to the point that I couldnt leave my house or my car would freeze and not start or so much snow its really dangerous to drive in. From what I have been reading the weather really depends of where in WA you live. I guess some parts have lots of snow while others only have a little. And in some parts the summers can get quite warm while others are more cool. Well I am looking to live in the cool summers, lots of rain, with or without sunshine is okay, slightly snowy winters areas. I dont want to end up moving to an area with blazing hot summers and super snowy winters. Where should I look, or where should I look to avoid??? One other thing...On another thread I was reading about WA having black ice from the rain and it being a big problem for drivers. Im not familair with this (since Im from Southern CA). Is this really a big problem? Or where can I move to avoid it? Or is there anything I can do (like snow tires) to protect myself? I am excited about living in WA, but I just want to make sure I end up in the area thats right for me.
Scirocco covered it.
If you are moving out of CA, you need to be prepared to deal with things that may happen in your new place.
When it snows a ton (almost never in SEA), you can still leave your house. Cars don't freeze in Western WA, it just doesn't get that cold. When it does snow, you can either learn to drive in it, or you can stay home. You may find this hard to believe, but in most places it snows, life goes on when it does. However, Seattle is known for kind of "shutting down" when it snows a lot.
When you hit ice, black or otherwise, you can't freak out. When it's icy or snowy, always go slow. Don't over-correct, and don't brake hard. Keep your distance, and brake slowly and much earlier than you normally would.
If I can learn how to do it, so can you. I moved from CA to CO and have learned to drive in the stuff, and we get feet more of the stuff than Seattle does.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Originally Posted by scirocco22
Black ice can occur anywhere in western WA but I'm not so sure it's that "big" of a problem unless you happen to be the unlucky one who happens upon it and skids out.*heh* ...Again, it isn't something that happens daily during the winter (once again, the typical winter temperatures are above freezing). Yes, you'll have times during the winter if you are driving late at night or early in the morning (the first commuters in the morning are usually the ones who will encounter it the most) where you might have problems but again, remember, freezing temperatures aren't a daily thing the way they are in other regions. The primary places black ice forms are on roadways that are elevated ...i.e. bridges where underneath the roadway is open to the air on not on the ground. This is where black ice is the most common.
Most long-time residents will probably consider snow tires not worth the money spent unless you plan to go up in the mountains frequently for recreation. I'm we_tside & I sport steel studs x4 on at least 3 cars. I keep the 4x4 dually chained for Heavy Duty commuting.
It is the frequent 80 mph winds with freezing rain that slows me down. I.e. Elevation / shade / wind can really up your chances of black ice
With that said, it's predicted to be a la niña winter so more than usual snow is predicted for this coming winter.
If you are moving out of CA, you need to be prepared to deal with things that may happen in your new place.
When it snows a ton (almost never in SEA), you can still leave your house. Cars don't freeze in Western WA, it just doesn't get that cold. ...
If I can learn how to do it, so can you. I moved from CA to CO and have learned to drive in the stuff, and we get feet more of the stuff than Seattle does.
Colorado crunchy / fluffy snow is a BREEZE to drive in compared to WET WA stuff. I never had snow tires or studs while living in CO for 28 yrs. Same with my 800 mile trucking route in CO, WY, SD, NE. A nice set a Highway radials on the semi were spectacular when they finally arrived on the market.
Winter of 2008, I bought and drove a car with pretty bad street tires from Minneapolis to Portland 100% of the way was blizzard (MN> ND> MT> ID> WA). Finally got stuck when I crossed the Cascades and was on the we_tside. Wet snow packed under the car and wheel wells jamming everything up, and eventually high centering on undercarriage.
Here's the thing: Western Washington is known for it's mild temperatures and near-year-round precipitation, which falls mostly as a mist, but can also downpour. (Many other cities actually get MORE rain than Seattle per year, but because ours falls mostly as a mist, it takes a lot longer of a time to accumulate, hence we have less average precipitation per year, but more DAYS of precipitation per year). The summers are generally drier and sunnier than the rest of the year, but still feature for the most part mild temperatures.
Eastern Washington, on the other hand, is a place of extremes. Winters are cold and snowy, summers are hot and dry. The lack of moisture in the air, however, makes hot temperatures feel much more pleasant than they do on the western half of the state. The cold doesn't feel quite as chilly on the dry side, either. The Cascades are a great weather barrier and keeps that marine influence dominating the western side out of the eastern side.
Keep in mind though that Western Washington does normally experience at least one cold snap per winter, and usually at least one heat wave per summer. During those winter cold snaps daytime high temperatures may not even make it above freezing. These usually last for about a week, give or take a couple of days, and anything that sun doesn't hit during this time will remain well frozen until the cold snap is gone. (Days are usually clear and sunny during these cold snaps too. Usually).
Our heat waves are horrible. It's not so much the heat itself, it's the humidity. Western Washington always has moisture in the air, and with daytime highs into the mid 90s and nighttime lows still well into the 60s during these heat waves, it gets miserably uncomfortable. (Again, in Eastern Washington temperatures this hot don't feel so bad because it's dry over that way). These heat waves, much like the cold snaps, usually last about a week, give or take a couple of days.
And as was already mention, this year is a La Nina year, and we are expecting much higher than normal snowfall with lower than normal temperatures in Western Washington this winter, so don't base your opinion of what a normal winter is here on this winter alone. (I personally LOVE snow and cold and am welcoming this coming winter with open arms. Not everyone feels the same way. I just hope that the city learned from it's mistakes in winter 2008 and has better snow removal from the streets this time around!). ALSO don't base any opinion of a normal summer from this last one. This last summer was a horrible one that started late and ended early. It's usually nicer and a little warmer than what we experienced this last summer!
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Originally Posted by xxxPerseverexxx
....where is the best place to live in WA??? It has to be a place that doesnt get really hot in the summer (...I would also like it to be fairly safe/low crime (who doesnt want that?) but also not too far from a big city with jobs and shopping (like Seattle). ..
Least snow, probably Long Beach (SW WA). Coolest summer with minimal snow, Grays Harbor (economically depressed = higher petty crime)
Island Counties would also be good, tho probably a slight chance of snow, and quite expensive to commute)
Lowest crime, least snow, and close to a metro area, Probably Ridgefield, WA (20 min to Portland, Or)
Bellingham to Blaine would be another choice, but more likely for a trace (Or little more) of snow.
As mentioned, Elevation is VERY important for snow probability. It is frequent that you can look around to nearby hilltops and see the precise elevation snow starts: seldom @ 500'; occasionally 800'; often @ 1200'
Re: Island County, I believe it sits at least partially over the convergence zone (the southern parts of Camano and Whidbey Islands), which puts a higher chance of snow over those areas. (Northern Whidbey Island is partially in rain shadow though, I believe Oak Harbor is, though I also know that the island is known for micro climates).
San Juan County, as well as Fidalgo Island of Skagit County (home of Anacortes, WA), sits in rain shadow as well. The San Juan Islands receive less rain than Seattle, but not necessarily less cloudy skies. The temperatures are even more mild there than in Seattle, especially in the summer where average highs are about five degrees cooler. Snow is very rare in the islands (save for perhaps the higher elevations), but they are subject to high winds coming in through the straights, and I hear the winter power outages in the islands are quite common.
The scenery there is just absolutely gorgeous though, and if I could afford it I would definitely live up there! Orcas Island is my favorite, though I must admit I haven't really explored Lopez too much, not having been much past the ferry terminal, and I have never been to Shaw (which is smaller and all residential anyway). So I guess between San Juan Island and Orcas Island, I prefer Orcas, though San Juan is also beautiful.
Ok seriously natural disasters can happen anywhere. I live on the south part of whidbey island, when you drive down the streets it reminds you of Twilight. The trees are huge and when the weather is beautiful (which it was a lot this summer) you don't want to be anywhere else. The crime rate is next to none, kids are kids not gang bangers, and for the most part people are super friendly. Home range from low 100's to the millions. The only down fall is that during the summer the ferry wait can be terribly long especially if you just worked a long day and just wanna get home. Mukilteo is pricey but is my number 2 choice. But if you want scenery like the movies you need to be living on one of the islands.
Thank you so much for all the detailed advice. You guys have been so helpful and great. I really appreciate all the input. Let me ask you one more thing. Are mosquitoes (maybe Im spelling it wrong) really that big of a problem?? I know there is lots of water and there is rain and its like 90% humidity at least in the mornings (according to charts) and I think there are a lot of lakes. I looked at a forum on this and one person would say yes its awful there are lots of mosquitoes here and then another person would say I lived here half my life and Ive never been bitten once. So what the truth? Is it a problem or not? In San Diego for example (and Orange County) cockroaches are a problem and its gross. If you have someone live right next to you and they are a slob you get them everywhere even if you are a clean freak. I believe the closer you get to the coast (its 87% humidty here) the worse it is. I have had cockroaches that wont quit for months and months and also at another apartment before this one and Im so super clean with everything. Its disgusting. I dont want to go from one bug problem to another. I love pretty much everything about WA but if bugs are a big problem and I cant go outside in summer without being bitten that might change things. Someone on a post wrote that they get bit all the time and they are swollen for days and its really painful. Not to mention diseases you could get. So tell me, is this true or false? Are their just certain areas I need to avoid? Whats the point of living in such a beautiful place if I couldnt go outside and enjoy it.
Thank you so much for all the detailed advice. You guys have been so helpful and great. I really appreciate all the input. Let me ask you one more thing. Are mosquitoes (maybe Im spelling it wrong) really that big of a problem?? I know there is lots of water and there is rain and its like 90% humidity at least in the mornings (according to charts) and I think there are a lot of lakes. I looked at a forum on this and one person would say yes its awful there are lots of mosquitoes here and then another person would say I lived here half my life and Ive never been bitten once. So what the truth? Is it a problem or not? In San Diego for example (and Orange County) cockroaches are a problem and its gross. If you have someone live right next to you and they are a slob you get them everywhere even if you are a clean freak. I believe the closer you get to the coast (its 87% humidty here) the worse it is. I have had cockroaches that wont quit for months and months and also at another apartment before this one and Im so super clean with everything. Its disgusting. I dont want to go from one bug problem to another. I love pretty much everything about WA but if bugs are a big problem and I cant go outside in summer without being bitten that might change things. Someone on a post wrote that they get bit all the time and they are swollen for days and its really painful. Not to mention diseases you could get. So tell me, is this true or false? Are their just certain areas I need to avoid? Whats the point of living in such a beautiful place if I couldnt go outside and enjoy it.
I don't remember if mosquitoes (you spelled it correctly) were a problem in Western WA, however, they were a huge problem for the first half of the summer in Eastern WA (Spokane, etc). In Western WA, you might have more spiders in your house than you're used to in Southern CA, and it's likely you'll see plenty of slugs out most mornings (in case you don't know what they are, they are like snails without shells. We don't have them in Southern CA).
I am from San Diego and moved up here to Anacortes, WA one year ago. The bugs I see here are minimally increased from what I encountered in SD. I rarely saw mosquitos in the summer, but David is right that you will see more spiders. We see spiders in the house more often, altough they are all harmless. I have large windows in my living room and see a few large bugs and birds flying into the windows, but I never encounter large bugs affecting my outdoor pursuits. If you hike into the wilderness you will probably see more mosquitos.
I just finished reading all pages of this thread and everything seems pretty accurate relative to your concerns as they were things my wife and I considered.
Perserve: It is interesting reading your post as I was in your shoes one year ago. I moved seeking a change from SoCal living and I could not pass up a job opportunity offered up here. I have been back to SD only twice since moving and only really miss my family, mexican food and in-n-out, and close friends. I also miss some aspects of urban living and may one day move to the Seattle metro area or Bellingham.
Relocating here has been a great new life experience. I am a die-hard snowboarder and love the proximity to Mt Baker and Whistler in BC. My photography hobby has expanded with the abundancde of outdoor beauty we have up here. I have the San Juan Islands in my backyard and can enjoy slightly less rain with the Rain Shadow. We are renters up here and do not worry about the property taxes, but definitely benefit from the lack of income taxes. You also will notice a huge annual savings on your car registration fees.
There is more I could discuss but will hold here for now.
Good luck with your decisioin and feel free to private message me if you'd like with any questions.
I don't really think there is a "truth" to the mosquito "problem" (or lack thereof). There are obviously mosquitoes in western Washington. However, some years are worse than others, some locations will have a problem with them some years and not others. Some people will be affected more than others, etc. etc. The problem isn't as bad as it is in some areas of the country but it can be bothersome at times.
For instance, the place I spend the summer in western Washington, this year was a particularly bad year for mosquitoes. The year before there were hardly any. In August, I couldn't spend ten minutes outside without coming back in with over a dozen bites and this is was even using repellent and taking other precautions. At the same location three years ago, I heard from neighbors who told me that they were getting bit by mosquitoes when I hardly received any.
In the over fifty years I've spent summers in western Washington some were very mild mosquito-wise when others were downright miserable and these times weren't always spent in the same location.
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