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It's worth mentioning that places like Santa Monica and Santa Barbara are flush against the open ocean. Cities in the PNW are shielded by mountains and are only exposed to sheltered bays, sounds and straits. Look at Tofino, BC if you want to get a sense of what temperatures would otherwise look like. Tofino, British Columbia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
It's worth mentioning that places like Santa Monica and Santa Barbara are flush against the open ocean. Cities in the PNW are shielded by mountains and are only exposed to sheltered bays, sounds and straits. Look at Tofino, BC if you want to get a sense of what temperatures would otherwise look like. Tofino, British Columbia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Interesting. If there weren't any mountains to protect the PNW, it would turn even more people off from the climate since summers are one of their biggest draws.
I think the mountains both protect us from cold air (to a degree) but also are responsible for the high rainfall in winter and summer in some places. I don't think summers would change all that much but winters would get drier and colder without the mountains.
but also are responsible for the high rainfall in winter and summer in some places.
High rainfall in the summer in the PNW? I thought it was mentioned some time on the forum that the PNW is actually drier in the summer relative to winter, compared to its latitude (ie. say England or western Europe, where the Mediterranean rain pattern doesn't get as far north).
High rainfall in the summer in the PNW? I thought it was mentioned some time on the forum that the PNW is actually drier in the summer relative to winter, compared to its latitude (ie. say England or western Europe, where the Mediterranean rain pattern doesn't get as far north).
That's true. It is relative. All the PNW has winters wetter than summers but some places more so than others.
That's true. It is relative. All the PNW has winters wetter than summers but some places more so than others.
Actually, even in absolute terms is the PNW wetter in summer than say western Europe at the same latitudes?
A quick look at the stats doesn't seem to look like it. Portland, Oregon's summers don't seem wetter than say places in southern France like Nice or Marseille by much.
I think the mountains both protect us from cold air (to a degree) but also are responsible for the high rainfall in winter and summer in some places. I don't think summers would change all that much but winters would get drier and colder without the mountains.
The mountains (olympics and the vancouver island mtns) to the west of Vancouver and Seattle don't really prevent colder from coming in during the winter. I think that's more the Cascades.
The mountains (olympics and the vancouver island mtns) to the west of Vancouver and Seattle don't really prevent colder from coming in during the winter. I think that's more the Cascades.
Yes, I was thinking more the cascades rather than the island mountains.
I suppose there are definitions to be adhered to, but a place with its 5 coolest months as cool as here, just doesn't seem subtropical to me.
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