Another Weather question (Seattle, Vancouver: home, find a job, good schools)

[Sprty]

my wife, child and I will be moving up to Washington in a few years, once Im done with school. We are looking at Vancouver as she lived there for several years, then Salem Or., where she lived as well. She loved it up there, I visited a few weeks. I read all the wather post and SAD threads and wonder is it that bad in Vancouver as well? Is it just up near Seattle? SAlem or Beaverton?

thanks

[jennyb315]

yes, it is that bad no matter where you are on the west side.
Plan on tanning, going on vacation to somewhere sunny, driving over to the east side a lot, putting in a solarium with sun lamps and/or taking meds

We're probably moving back there after moving to Austin and the thought of all that freaking rain {born and raised in SW WA} makes me want to cry!!!! I was soooo looking forward to sunny and mild Texas winters.

[Sprty]

thanks for the reply. I am actually looking forward to moving. I am tired of living in Phoenix with all the hot weather everyday. Im just so tried of the summers here. I swear they are lasting longer every year. With her being from Wa and me loving all the natural beauty and good jobs in my field, it was a no brainer

[cobolt]

I agree---I think pretty much anywhere W WA is bad and I know areas of Oregon as well. I moved here from Texas a few years ago and my first winter was horrible. I thought I was going to lose it with all the rain and cloudy days. Consequently that was one of the rainiest winters on record. Last winter wasn't AS bad but it's still difficult. Even this summer is grayer and cooler than normal. You get really tired of a few partly sunny days during the work week just to have it cloud up on you for the weekends. I even find my self depressed some days now because of the weather. The locals don't seem to be too bothered by it. I am trying to get used to it, but I think after this winter, I might move away. I'd rather have some colder weather and be able to see the sun than mild winters with the perpetual gray blanket.

[ness]

Originally Posted by Sprty

my wife, child and I will be moving up to Washington in a few years, once Im done with school. We are looking at Vancouver as she lived there for several years, then Salem Or., where she lived as well. She loved it up there, I visited a few weeks. I read all the wather post and SAD threads and wonder is it that bad in Vancouver as well? Is it just up near Seattle? SAlem or Beaverton?

thanks

I think the bottom line is that the Pac NW is gray and rainy for a good part of the year, but when it is sunny and clear it is incredibly beautiful. There are pos. and negs. of living in all different climates. People rave about Calif.'s climate, but there is lot of smog, drought, and uncomfortable heat that comes along with all that sunshine. I don't think there is a "perfect" place to live....I think that you look for some place that has things that are important to you (maybe good schools, reasonable home prices, water views, etc.) and you take the good with the bad.

[cdelena]

In my first year spending most of my time in the Vancouver area (only a property owner since January) I can say it is simply not as gray as many describe it to be. I find the weather delightful although but I am biased as I am not a fan of clear skies and bright sun.

Have found that the Weather Service count of cloudy days is about the same as Seattle but in my limited experience many of them are partly cloudy in reality or cloudy in the morning and mostly clearing in the afternoon. There may be a time when ten days in a row there is rain that can be tiring, but then there are times (at least in the last year) when high pressure moved in and there are ten mostly sunny days in the winter.

My experience has been very positive and could not ask for better weather for me. I have lived a number of places in the country, finding the long periods of clear hot humid weather in the South much more depressing than the winters I have spent here.

[Sprty]

Thanks for all the replies I appreciate it. Though its a while off I am very excited to get out of here and try it out for a while. I will be in a field where I can find a job literally anywhere (medical) so there wont be issues if it doesnt work how, however I wont come back to AZ...lol

[cobolt]

Hey Sprty

There is a thread on the WA forum about weather related depression. You may want to read up on that as well. Perhaps Vancouver isn't as gloomy as here.

Best to you
Cobolt

[pw72]

I believe a lot of this has to do with where you grew up and what seems comfortable to you. I grew up in Seattle, and to this day, find comfort in cloudy days, almost like a security blanket I guess.

There may be slightly more sunshine in Western Oregon than Western Washington, but not enough where you would really notice.

However, get south of Eugene, and the sun quotient goes up substantially.

[scirocco22]

Just to add to what pw72 stated, once you get south of Eugene, the summers are substantially sunnier. The winters will be essentially the same.

--'rocco