You won't see the sun for 10 months out of the year they said... (Pacific: moving, trees)

[elkotronics]

Love the yellow leaves - they'll be down on the forest floor shortly if they're not there already. Love your gorgeous photos of the beautiful Pacific Northwest, Derek.

[TheTimidBlueBars]

Transplant from Reno here; this is my first fall in Seattle. What's been depressing to me, so far, isn't so much the cloudy skies or rain (they aren't as rare in western Nevada as you'd think) --- it's how early the sun is setting. Lately it's been like 1:30 pm and I can already see the sun starting to go down.

[notnamed]

Originally Posted by TheTimidBlueBars

Transplant from Reno here; this is my first fall in Seattle. What's been depressing to me, so far, isn't so much the cloudy skies or rain (they aren't as rare in western Nevada as you'd think) --- it's how early the sun is setting. Lately it's been like 1:30 pm and I can already see the sun starting to go down.

Sunset today in Reno is 4:41 vs 4:29 in Seattle. Not that big of a difference. Though it is at a significantly lower elevation angle.

[pnwguy2]

Of course the opposite occurs in late May and June...

And doesn't the Sierra Nevada make the sunset even earlier in Reno, or is that built into sunset time? Them those hills are big and fierce!

[Botev1912]

Originally Posted by TheTimidBlueBars

Transplant from Reno here; this is my first fall in Seattle. What's been depressing to me, so far, isn't so much the cloudy skies or rain (they aren't as rare in western Nevada as you'd think) --- it's how early the sun is setting. Lately it's been like 1:30 pm and I can already see the sun starting to go down.

1:30? You need to go back to school. A little child would know better.

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by TheTimidBlueBars

Transplant from Reno here; this is my first fall in Seattle. What's been depressing to me, so far, isn't so much the cloudy skies or rain (they aren't as rare in western Nevada as you'd think) --- it's how early the sun is setting. Lately it's been like 1:30 pm and I can already see the sun starting to go down.

Sun is lower in the sky all day, I think that must be what you are reacting to.
Sunset in Fairbanks, AK much farther north at latitude 64, is 330 today. But, sun very low in sky.
Also -5F with snow on the ground.

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by TheTimidBlueBars

Transplant from Reno here; this is my first fall in Seattle. What's been depressing to me, so far, isn't so much the cloudy skies or rain (they aren't as rare in western Nevada as you'd think) --- it's how early the sun is setting. Lately it's been like 1:30 pm and I can already see the sun starting to go down.

Being at this latitude, our summer days are longer, but then the winter days are shorter. On the longest day (Summer Solstice) the sun rises at 5:11 a.m. and sets at 9:10 p.m. - that's 16 hours of light. On the winter solstice in late December the sun rises at 7:54 a.m. and sets at 4:20 p.m. - that's just over 8 hours of light. With commute times, many/most people find it to be dark when they leave for work, and dark when they get home. The key is to have a window office, or go outside for a while during the day.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

Being at this latitude, our summer days are longer, but then the winter days are shorter. On the longest day (Summer Solstice) the sun rises at 5:11 a.m. and sets at 9:10 p.m. - that's 16 hours of light. On the winter solstice in late December the sun rises at 7:54 a.m. and sets at 4:20 p.m. - that's just over 8 hours of light. With commute times, many/most people find it to be dark when they leave for work, and dark when they get home. The key is to have a window office, or go outside for a while during the day.

Hemlock140, I noticed you came here from the Bay Area back in the 90s. So you've been in the PNW for quite a while now. How long did it take you to adjust to some of these changes coming from a lower latitude area? Just curious. It seems like this varies a lot per individual.

Thanks,

Derek

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

Hemlock140, I noticed you came here from the Bay Area back in the 90s. So you've been in the PNW for quite a while now. How long did it take you to adjust to some of these changes coming from a lower latitude area? Just curious. It seems like this varies a lot per individual.

Thanks,

Derek

We arrived in August 1993, and it happened to be a cool summer even for here. I was overjoyed, because I really don't like hot weather and had endured it for 40 years in the East Bay. Were I grew up (Lafayette) it was always 100-105 the first week of school and I hated it. The kids growing up still played soccer/softball/baseball and I would say it took them a full year or two to adjust to the cold/wet and just go with it. Other family members complain to this day that they are cold, even with the heat set at 70 inside, but two of my kids are on their own now and stayed in the area, one in Seattle, the other Mt. Vernon, so they are good with it here now. I have always been a mountains/woods guy, and instead of those 2-3 hour weekend drives to the Sierras I see them every day from home and even on my commute.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

We arrived in August 1993,...I have always been a mountains/woods guy, and instead of those 2-3 hour weekend drives to the Sierras I see them every day from home and even on my commute.

Commute to an inside job? or a job working out in the weather all day every day?
(i.e. outdoors by choice, or necessity?)

Yes, weather adaptability certainly varies by 'user'.
My adult kids (born and raised in PNW we_tside; no problem (inside jobs)
My Spouse (SoCA native); no problem (as long as they have wood stove 'dry heat' in winter) Outdoors only by choice... occasional need to walk from car to library or store.


Of thousands of CA transplant coworkers who came to PNW, ~50% stayed more than 5 yrs, ~20% stayed after retirement. Most of the financially thrifty ones kept their CA Prop 13 status alive and returned to CA for low prop taxes during retirement. The group who had come from NoColorado to Lake Stevens, WA defaulted 'home' at a much higher rate. (as was also a higher divorce rate, often blamed on weather / environment change)

2-3 hrs drive to recreation would have been a real chore. Fortunately I have never lived more than 5 min to mtns or recreation, always on a farm. (except when living in Barcelona (countryside) or Singapore (next to Botanical Gardens)).

Water sports are much more accessible in WA, several friends keep sailboats on PS, and many local kayak spots. (CGNSA). Sport Water skiing is also popular in PNW.

This has been an unusual, but welcome fall (was cold and wet in Sept which is not normal). I had my firewood in early, but I am still up on roofs and doing other outdoor projects to get ready for winter.

I consider Election Day 'Drop-dead' date to have all outdoor projects for winter complete. So far Nov 2019 is quite dry. But a sample size of one abnormal year does not convince me this will be the 'new-normal'.

Should be OK place for preppers. WTSHTF, just a tad close to China for their expected invasion.