Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Dallas gets 2" of rainfall on average in January, and they got it in two or three big dumps.
Portland gets 5" of rain on average in January, and gets it over 15 - 30 days of light rain, typically. The January posted was unusually dry if you check the table.
There is also the sunlight difference, much much shorter days in PDX/SEA at that time of year.
It's entirely possible in Portland to have 10 straight days when the temp never goes below 35 or above 50, there is measurable precipitation at least 12 hours out of each of those days, and even when not raining it is solid, dark low overcast or fog. A monotonous cold drizzle that has 8 hours of 'dark gray' and 16 hours of night.
One thing you notice is that the wet air mass is often thin, just a few thousand feet, then clear and sunny above. So you can fly into Portland in the winter and it'll be brilliantly sunny the whole way, you descend over perfectly clear mountains into a bowl full of clouds -- bright sunshine until you turn onto final approach, then suddenly solid cloud, and moments later you emerge into a dimly lit world that hasn't dried out in weeks.
The PNW is cloudy, damp, and drizzly all winter long with temperatures consistently in the 40s. You literally go weeks and weeks without seeing a ray of sunshine.
That's not quite accurate. When I lived in the PNW I remember there being sun scattered throughout the weeks. It isn't as much as you'd get in most US locations during the winter; about equivalent to the Great Lakes area in terms of winter sun. In other words, it's grey - depressingly grey. But it's also not accurate to say that weeks go by without sun. That might happen occasionally but is far from normal.
Quote:
Sometimes rain will get a bit heavier than drizzle but no severe weather ever.
The PNW does get Pineapple Expresses from time to time during the winter, which bring a firehose of warm, wet air from the tropical Pacific and can lead to flooding. It can also get the occasional arctic blast bringing surprisingly heavy snow, though of course that's rare.
I grew up in New Orleans but lived over 20 years in the PNW and no they are not similar winters. The Deep South climate is more varied during the winter and can get quite warm at times but is also more subject to cold fronts coming down from Canada for short cold snaps. The PNW gets stuck in a cloudy/misty weather pattern that is depressing to me. Deep South can get a significant period of sun during the winter months that you want get in the PNW.
I don't think you can even really compare the two regions for the simple fact that the geography of the PNW is vastly different from the SouthEast. Within a span of 10-50 miles you can go from cold wet marine type climate and into full on meters/feet of snow with temps below freezing.
Interior of BC/WA/OR is downright frigid compared to the SE.
The narrow strip of land along I-5 from Vancouver BC down to Portland Oregon is hardly representive of the entire region as a whole. The southeastern portion of the United States is much more conforming over large areas in terms of climate and topography. I Don't really think you can compare the two.
PNW is mostly dark, cloudy, chilly, and wet for a long period of time. The SE is prone to more extremes, and can at times get quite warm in the middle of winter. The difference in sunshine is substantial as well.
In answer to your question, the winters are completely different for numerous reasons. This satetllite image was taken during the winter months. And is pretty typical. You can clearly see Seattle and Portland marked on the map.
Most of I-5 is snow free from Vancouver B.C. to Portland, with the low lying areas stuck in an inversion layer/marine clouds.
Cascades/Coastal Ranges and Columbia Basin are cold.
Last edited by skihikeclimb; 10-27-2014 at 09:25 AM..
Of course, this doesn't factor in rainfall, rainfall days, latitude, sunshine, and variation.
Average in Seattle is 46/36 in January. For Vancouver B.C. it is around 44/34. Even Denver has an average high around 47 in January (depending on your source). But averages alone don't say much. As you have stated, you have to take into consideration lattitude, sunshine, variation, etc..
Even taking this into consideration, the temps in Atlanta begin to diverge greatly once you get into Feb/March etc.. Even by March it can get pretty warm in Atlanta.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
