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Our snow-driving skills are dismal. If someone is going 20 miles an hour in the snow, they are probably from California.
It's not the driver's fault. I moved here from Michigan and Wisconsin and drove through many snowy and icy winters, but the topography here is challenging regardless of my skill. People who cross the passes frequently, like for skiing, will invest in 4 wheel drive vehicles, chains or tires, but the rest of us will fill up on supplies when we see something concerning in the forecast and then we wait out whatever actually manifests.
IMO the worst situation isn't the snow itself, but ice storms bringing down the power. A few years before I moved here WA apparently experienced the worst and longest loss of power due to an ice storm. My neighborhood went 8 days. I can't fathom that... it was unseasonably cold too, like below freezing for several days instead of the typical 42-ish.... It really freaks me out because while my rental has a gas range, my primary does not. It's why I try to keep a well-stocked emergency supplies with plenty of camp stove propane tanks even though we don't camp. I end up giving them away before they expire. I never want to have to use them, but I know it's just a matter of time before we end up with a multi-day power outage.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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We moved from CA (Bay Area) in 1993, and were surprised to find that our neighbors next door, across the street, and two others in the block were also from CA. The 9 months of cloudy/rain were hardest on the kids at the time, but they got used to it, and as adults now they have all stayed in the area. For me the green most of the year makes up for it, along with the summers being so much milder (except for June 2021). At 49" annually Lacey gets less rain than here in Sammamish (60"). The best part here is the natural beauty, with views of mountains, river valleys, lakes, and old-growth woods. We go back to visit and the sky seems too close without the 80-100' tall trees. As for home prices, the last couple of years have messed up your incredible equity, with our price inflation rivaling yours, but Lacey is still mostly under $500.
Apparently you weren’t here in 1997 where in NW Washington we received 4’! Or, a few years ago when Seattle stopped cold stranding our daughter at the Greyhound bus station as people were petrified to drive on I5 so abandoned their vehicles thus blocking ramps. No taxis so I had to reach my sister stranded at a downtown office to meet her at night. Most of us natives or Midwest/Back East folks know how to drive in the snow so it must have been the Californian transplants.
I was definitely there in 1997, but don't recall 4' of snow. It's even rarer that it snows in Seattle enough to be measurable in feet, but it does happen. I remember one winter having to walk home to the Northgate area from my job at the UW, because the bus service had given up on trying to navigate the 2-3 feet of snow. Students were skiing to school, and the Russian members of the faculty (I worked in Slavic ) all would break out their fur coats on such days. I loved it, but I didn't own a car, so didn't need to worry about snow/ice driving.
But those are very rare and exceptional winters (as your comment implies, because '97's winter stood out in your memory), and the snow only lasted one week out of the whole winter. It's not like other parts of the country, where that's the norm most of the winter. I don't want the OP to get the wrong impression, and think that just because Seattle is close to Canada, that it's snowy. Even Vancouver isn't snowy.
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 09-13-2021 at 08:11 AM..
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Advice from many coworkers who came from CA and CO to WA and OR.
Don't buy a home nestled in the trees (moss, mold, dark, cold, more maint) Find a home with a LOT of BIG windows (South facing preferred). View home preferred if WFH.
If you have a CA prop 13, keep it! (Retain a CA RE investment)
Many of my CA co-workers returned to CA during career and especially during retirement.
Some kept a PNW vacation home (or 2 or 3) for their active retirement years.
There are so many people here from California, you could form your own exclusive club if you wanted! Lots of company. But I don't think you'll need to.
...............
We use to have tons of Californian's coming up each fall to pick the fruit.
In recent years, it has dropped off that it was rare to see a car with California plates.
This fall it looks like they are coming back, but their not as friendly. I did tell a few of them that if they went to the Employment Security Department at 5:00 am they were sending workers out to pick fruit.
They were NOT interested in picking fruit, even though they were driving BMW's which probably have some pretty high car payments and fruit picking pays well these days.
We do have tons of urban refugees moving over from Seattle, to where they now are the majority population!!! Those of us, long time residents now have a secret handshake so we know that we are dealing with locals. And you don't dare pull over to help somebody along the road. I guess road rage is just the norm over there.
BUT moving from Santa Cruz, to Washington state is a grave mistake. You will never be able to match the weather. Once you leave, it is likely you be able to return.
Some friends want me to move to Washington state (Lacey to be specific). I am sick of the high taxes and insurance costs in California, as well as the high cost of everything else. However, I'm a native Californian and I'm afraid I would miss California too much if I were to move. It has its downsides but it is also home. I can get a much nicer house in WA, even though the prices are going up there as well, but I also feel I will be stuck in the house with the rain half of the year and it could get gloomy. I have fallen in love with a house I looked at up there while visiting friends. I wonder if anyone has had the experience of moving from California to Washington and what are your thoughts, good and bad. I would be ever so grateful to hear about your experience. I don't really care if people are unfriendly because I have moved from the California area because I think that says more about them than about me. People that are judgy about where you lived before you came there are not people I want to hang around with anyway.
Do California's a favor and stay long enough to vote to recall your governor.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,550 posts, read 81,117,303 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth
I was definitely there in 1997, but don't recall 4' of snow. It's even rarer that it snows in Seattle enough to be measurable in feet, but it does happen. I remember one winter having to walk home to the Northgate area from my job at the UW, because the bus service had given up on trying to navigate the 2-3 feet of snow. Students were skiing to school, and the Russian members of the faculty (I worked in Slavic ) all would break out their fur coats on such days. I loved it, but I didn't own a car, so didn't need to worry about snow/ice driving.
But those are very rare and exceptional winters (as your comment implies, because '97's winter stood out in your memory), and the snow only lasted one week out of the whole winter. It's not like other parts of the country, where that's the norm most of the winter. I don't want the OP to get the wrong impression, and think that just because Seattle is close to Canada, that it's snowy. Even Vancouver isn't snowy.
I remember that snow well, here it was 24", I actually measured it after it finally stopped. Some places may have gotten 4', it can vary greatly, but we usually get more at 600' elevation. It started on Superbowl Sunday, and we planned a party. The only people that showed up lived a block down the street, and they managed to walk all bundled up in the blizzard.
I was definitely there in 1997, but don't recall 4' of snow. It's even rarer that it snows in Seattle enough to be measurable in feet, but it does happen. I remember one winter having to walk home to the Northgate area from my job at the UW, because the bus service had given up on trying to navigate the 2-3 feet of snow. Students were skiing to school, and the Russian members of the faculty (I worked in Slavic ) all would break out their fur coats on such days. I loved it, but I didn't own a car, so didn't need to worry about snow/ice driving.
But those are very rare and exceptional winters (as your comment implies, because '97's winter stood out in your memory), and the snow only lasted one week out of the whole winter. It's not like other parts of the country, where that's the norm most of the winter. I don't want the OP to get the wrong impression, and think that just because Seattle is close to Canada, that it's snowy. Even Vancouver isn't snowy.
During the winter of 1996-1997 Whatcom County shut down. We lost 4 outbuildings when the temps warmed and the rains began causing massive amounts of wet heavy snow to slough off the overhanging evergreens thus crushing them. Out in the North County, drifts were as high as 20’ from the severe Northeasters out of Canada’s Fraser Valley.
Yes, it can be nasty here as several years ago an ice storm knocked down lines of power poles along the Hannegan and other County roads. Yes, there can be scant winters (I have lived here my 70+ years) that may have scant snow but soon enough Mother Nature will roar back with a fierce storm.
Hi there. Thanks so much for responding. Fires are a real concern here as I'm in the Santa Cruz mountains and just a year ago, there was a major fire that burned a lot of areas here. The famous Big Basin Park had to be closed and people traveled to it from everywhere. Very, very sad. It came close to where I live and that scares me. Water is scarce and we pray for rain (but no lightning as that is what caused our fire last year). Getting home insurance here is not only very expensive, but many companies also will not insure us. PG&E regularly shuts down the power to save resources and that is no fun at all. You are correct, gray skies don't force you to be indoors. I recently visited the area and it is absolutely beautiful up there. I want to be smart about my decision and realistic. So, any feedback really helps.
I'd just discovered Big Basin 2 years prior. I spend part of each year in Santa Cruz, so I know your turf pretty well. I cancelled my stay last year, after things shut down for Covid, but a friend in Bonnie Doon got burned out. They say Big Basin may never recover or reopen to the public.
I have friends in the Skagit Valley north of Seattle, who say they get enough rain to dampen the fire risk, but I looked up the fire history of the place, and there was a fire there just 2 years ago or so. I think they were living abroad temporarily when it happned. I'm mysteified that they're unaware of it, though.
So I'm looking for a relatively less fire-prone area myself.
Some friends want me to move to Washington state (Lacey to be specific). I am sick of the high taxes and insurance costs in California, as well as the high cost of everything else. However, I'm a native Californian and I'm afraid I would miss California too much if I were to move. It has its downsides but it is also home. I can get a much nicer house in WA, even though the prices are going up there as well, but I also feel I will be stuck in the house with the rain half of the year and it could get gloomy. I have fallen in love with a house I looked at up there while visiting friends. I wonder if anyone has had the experience of moving from California to Washington and what are your thoughts, good and bad. I would be ever so grateful to hear about your experience. I don't really care if people are unfriendly because I have moved from the California area because I think that says more about them than about me. People that are judgy about where you lived before you came there are not people I want to hang around with anyway.
I'm from Southern CA.
-my grandmother has lived in Everett my entire life
-I have lived in Eastern WA in Spokane (where you would have to think about snow)
-WA is high cost too.
-I haven't lived in CA since 2007, and I miss it, but not too much. It's still home, and when I return, the downsides are apparent enough to remember why I left.
-Rain and gloom are far bigger concerns/adjustment than snow. Snow shouldn't even be much a consideration in Lacey IMO.
You only live once. Go get some new experiences in life. Keep an open mind, and enjoy the ride. CA will still be there if you need it (we hope! ).
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) all would break out their fur coats on such days. I loved it, but I didn't own a car, so didn't need to worry about snow/ice driving. 
).
