Bellingham vs Vancouver (WA).... (Port Townsend: rentals, crime, crawl space)

[RotseCherut]

Originally Posted by NCDavid

I've lived in both cities too. So, let's look at some facts, rather than opinion:
From the Weather Channel: Bellingham gets an average yearly rainfall of 35.76 inches. Vancouver gets 31.79.
Average December plus January snowfall in Bham is 11 inches. Van is 5 inches.
From City Data:
Percent of cloudy days in January in Bham is 80 percent. Same in Vanc.
Percent of cloudy days in August in Bham is 40 percent. It's only 30 percent in Vanc.
Percent of sunny days in January in Bham is 20 percent. It's 25 percent in Vanc.
Percent of sunny days in August in Bham is only 48 percent. It's 70 percent in Vanc.
January average temps are nearly identical.
August average day temps are slightly warmer in Vanc with average August night temps slightly cooler in Vanc.
I said I think the weather in Vancouver is a little better than in Bellingham. The statistics bear that out. Bham has a little more rain, snow and clouds, and a kittle less sunshine, on average.
I like both cities, but anecdotal examples of one season or one event are pointless and misleading.

I grew up in Oregon and lived in PDX for 10 years or so and have family there.. I cannot remember a day where it was sunny in Portland where it wasn't sunny in Bellingham. I don't know how they calculate these statistics, but I highly doubt they are based on pure fact. Anytime, its cloudy and dreary in Bellingham it is usually the same in PDX.. I also don't believe Vancouver gets only 31.79 inches of rain. It depends on the year, but there are plenty of years where PDX will be raining endlessly and the same can be said for Bham. Also, I am questioning what they refer to a sunny day in Vancouver and Bham. Maybe, there is a marine layer in Bellingham in the morning due to being on the Bay and that can be counted as cloudy or partly cloudy, whereas the marine layer isn't present as much in Vancouver.

All I know is from living in Portland area and Puget Sound, now in Skagit Valley, that I have encountered the same amount of sunny days up in the Puget Sound as living in Oregon, but without the brutal heat and occasional heat/humidity combo. Both cities do not have much for air conditioning, so on those 99F days in Portland it is like being in hell, whereas it will be in the high 80s in Seattle and late 70s in Bellingham.

[NCDavid]

Originally Posted by RotseCherut

I grew up in Oregon and lived in PDX for 10 years or so and have family there.. I cannot remember a day where it was sunny in Portland where it wasn't sunny in Bellingham. I don't know how they calculate these statistics, but I highly doubt they are based on pure fact. Anytime, its cloudy and dreary in Bellingham it is usually the same in PDX.. I also don't believe Vancouver gets only 31.79 inches of rain. It depends on the year, but there are plenty of years where PDX will be raining endlessly and the same can be said for Bham. Also, I am questioning what they refer to a sunny day in Vancouver and Bham. Maybe, there is a marine layer in Bellingham in the morning due to being on the Bay and that can be counted as cloudy or partly cloudy, whereas the marine layer isn't present as much in Vancouver.

All I know is from living in Portland area and Puget Sound, now in Skagit Valley, that I have encountered the same amount of sunny days up in the Puget Sound as living in Oregon, but without the brutal heat and occasional heat/humidity combo. Both cities do not have much for air conditioning, so on those 99F days in Portland it is like being in hell, whereas it will be in the high 80s in Seattle and late 70s in Bellingham.

Yeah, I guess you're right. City Data must have faked the data. We can't let statistics get in the way of our opinions, can we?

[Botev1912]

There have been many times where it is sunny in Portland and foggy/cloudy in Seattle and Bellingham at the same time because Portland is far from the ocean. I prefer the weather in Portland because it has true summers and fewer foggy mornings/sunny afternoons which is very typical for the Puget Sound region.

[RotseCherut]

Originally Posted by NCDavid

Yeah, I guess you're right. City Data must have faked the data. We can't let statistics get in the way of our opinions, can we?

I'm in Bellingham right now and the sun is shining, can you tell me what the weather is right now where you are?

[RotseCherut]

Originally Posted by Botev1912

There have been many times where it is sunny in Portland and foggy/cloudy in Seattle and Bellingham at the same time because Portland is far from the ocean. I prefer the weather in Portland because it has true summers and fewer foggy mornings/sunny afternoons which is very typical for the Puget Sound region.

Portland's summers can be downright miserable, whereas Seattle and Bellingham's summers are usually pleasant. This is the consensus I have made from living in both places. I grew up in Oregon and can share you stories about some of those nice "real" Portland summers, where you couldn't find an A/C to save your life and people would just drop dead in their non-air conditioned houses when it hits 100F for a week.

[NCDavid]

Originally Posted by RotseCherut

I'm in Bellingham right now and the sun is shining, can you tell me what the weather is right now where you are?

Yes, the sun is shining here in north Vancouver WA. It was raining earlier in the day. What the heck does that prove? On any given day weather here to there can be the same or different. So what? One day's weather is irrelevant in comparing the climate between one city and another. You do know the difference between weather and climate, don't you?

[NCDavid]

Originally Posted by RotseCherut

Portland's summers can be downright miserable, whereas Seattle and Bellingham's summers are usually pleasant. This is the consensus I have made from living in both places. I grew up in Oregon and can share you stories about some of those nice "real" Portland summers, where you couldn't find an A/C to save your life and people would just drop dead in their non-air conditioned houses when it hits 100F for a week.

I'm not sure what world you live in, but weather records show the average number of days in Portland when the temperature exceeds 100 is one day a year. It exceeds 90 on average 11 days a year. Having read your posts, I'm sure you will dispute that but those are the records whether you believe them or not.
By the way, how do you make a consensus by yourself?

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by NCDavid

I'm not sure what world you live in, ...

This Poster lives on the "ignore list". "handy!" for a select few.

[NCDavid]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

This Poster lives on the "ignore list". "handy!" for a select few.

Thank you.

[RotseCherut]

Originally Posted by NCDavid

I'm not sure what world you live in, but weather records show the average number of days in Portland when the temperature exceeds 100 is one day a year. It exceeds 90 on average 11 days a year. Having read your posts, I'm sure you will dispute that but those are the records whether you believe them or not.
By the way, how do you make a consensus by yourself?

How long have you lived in Portland? I never said Portland is in the 100s all the time.. One day a year? I remember plenty of summers where it had exceeded 100F for a few days on end. Yeah, sure, it is not like Phoenix , Arizona, but Phoenix also is less humid and the homes are built equipped to handle such constant hot weather. In Portland people will sit in their houses and sweat. Many people don't even own fans. When a heat wave comes and it hits the 90s, even fans are scarce in stores. I never understood the averages I see in Oregon and I also know that from one decade to the next the weather patterns can be vastly different. Btw, last summer it was in the 90s for many more days than 11 days.. Just do a check for the temperatures last summer. I was at my parent's house a couple summers ago, because my father had minor surgery and they did not have any air conditioning and I had to suffer and sleep in 120F room in the upstairs. The temperature was over 100F the three days I was staying with them. It was utterly miserable and humid. In Seatle, it was misreable too, but the temps did not get too far above 90F, which was more bearable. Bellingham was in the high 80s at this time.

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