Let me tell you about the rain in Seattle-- it never ends!

OK I admit it, we moved to Seattle in the middle of August during the dry season and did not research the climate of the city before hand. We traveled here during the summer and fell in love with the place.

That is until September when the rainy season started! Then it stated to rain. Since September, except for a few hours, it has been raining, grey and foggy nearly every minute since then. The grass is always wet! They keep telling me that the dry season (some time in late July or August) makes it all worth while, but I think 340 days of clouds and drizzle has to have an effect on people's well being.

Fellow people who live or visit the pacific northwest-- Do you find the constant rain and low clouds as depressing as I do? How do you stand it?

This is an offical warning to travelers also!

I read somewhere that Seattle has only 34 inches of rain in a year far less than most places on the east coast. If so, how can it be raining all the time?

i live in vancouver bc, 2 - 3 hours drive north of seattle. here they say you don't tan you rust. its the price you pay for living in paradise, good for the skin!

Some paradise. Everyone is running all the time trying to stay dry. With a terrible economy and and 20 percent unemployment, can this place be a paradise?

I read years ago that the Seattle area had the highest suicide rate in the nation, so I guess all that gray, cloudy, rainy weather IS depressing! I also read that their total annual rain fall is low compared to other areas (like S FL where I live), but it is more of a constant drizzle. Funny, we still want to visit your area this year! We are thinking end of August as to avoid the rain!!!

Soaked, the planes fly every day.

I use to live in Seattle. One time in the winter it rained for 45 days straight, then it stopped for two days then another 23 days in a row!

The rain in seattle is more like a light drizzle. That is why they don't get as much total precip as the east coast. It is also possible to do things outside on those days, whereas you'd never be outside when it is pouring in Chicago or Boston.

Live in Olympia, an hour south of Seattle. Going on 3 yrs (moved from Texas. Am soooo tired of the rain, cold, damp, cloudy days. My husband got a great job offer that is why we moved. There are a few nice days with a little sun or no rain but still near to wear warm clothes. I do like a few things about Seattle but don't care for Olympia. My husband is looking into a job transfer to a warmer climate. In the meantime, I am just dealing with the weather looking forward to our warm sunny cruise and the end of July when hopefully it'll get warm. Hey Soaked, where did you move from? Send me an e-mail.

Pleeeaaassse! You moved to Seattle without researching the weather? Seattle is famous for damp drizzly weather. And the 'dry season'? Didn't know we had one, except for a week or two in September and the first weekend in August. Don't feel terribly sorry for you. It is grey and damp here. It's also incredibly green and the vistas of the Olympics, Cascades, and Mt Rainier are spectacular(when you get to see them!) There is a reason that this was the birthplace of Starbucks, why people read more books here, and see more films. It's grey here and we get cosy. And when the sun comes out, we celebrate. Seattle has it's charms. Maybe it's time to weed out the wilting transplants. Seattle is for hardy stock.

I've lived in the Puget Sound Region for 22 years, and yes, the winters can be rainy. I have also lived in Vermont and Minnesota, and I will take a Seattle winter over those two places anytime. The record cold temperature here was about 10 degrees F, and temps rarely drop below 20 degrees. We get a few inches of snow each winter, and the snow melts within a few days. On the other hand, all that rain falls as snow in the mountains, so we have great skiing an hour's drive from downtown Seattle.

People joke about the dry season lasting one week, but that is pure B.S. June, July, and August are glorious, and temperatures rarely climb over 85 degrees then. I will trade a little rain and overcast skies for those fine summer days.

Actually, I don't know why I am bothering to defend Seattle's weather. Our biggest problem is excessive population growth and the resultant traffic jams. There was a newspaper columnist, Emmett Watson, who proposed that all Seattleites should distribute as much propaganda as possible, describing the horrors of the soaking wet rain, in order to scare away prospective new residents. Perhaps 'Webfeet' is part of that campaign?

Lived in WA for about 15 years and moved back to midwest. Had I my druthers I would still be in WA with "all the rain". What do you all think makes is so beautiful and nothing is more beautiful that seeing Mt. Rainier on a clear day. Yes, when I was there we were trying to discourage all the Calif people moving north and raising property etc. Wish I were still there. And as for people running around to get out of the rain. Hogwash. We just accept it and keep on going. One while visiting Hawaii we were sitting at the pool when a little rain came in. We didn't move, but a lot of others did. They figured out we were from WA.

I get a kick out the people who defend the weather in Seattle. They tell us the weather is better than Minnesota. Well with 9 months of freezing cold weather in Minnesota, almost anyplace is better weather wise.

I agree the summer dry season is nice but it really only lasts about a month, at best.

I need to weigh on this one. I spent 7 years in Seattle, and thought it was fine. If you are moving somewhere for the sun, then Seattle shouldn't even be on your list. If the lack of sun doesn't bother you, then it is a great place. Just like (since we seem to be making Minnesota our main analogy) how my friends in Minneapolis who, since they do not mind cold weather, value the other quality of life things so much that they would never move from there.

I live in Chicago now. Do I long for Seattle? Not really. But I thought Seattle was a fine place to spend 7 years of my life.

At least we don't have to shovel it.

Defending Seattle's weather by comparing it to Minnesota is like saying you'd rather be kicked in the leg than shot in the gut.



And BTW, who in the world would move someplace new without ever checking on the typical weather patterns? I'd laugh myself silly if someone moved to Phoenix and hadn't bothered to find out that 100-110 degree summer temps are a daily occurrence.

Did anyone in Seattle like the rain?

I don't care how beautiful or how great the quality of life - I personally couldn't STAND all those gray days and drizzle. More than 3 days of it and I'm ready to jump off a cliff. Some people just can't take dreary weather, and I'm one of them. A sunny day just intstantly puts me in a great mood.

No offense to residents, but you couldn't pay me enough to live there, or anywhere else with limited sunshine. I'd have to jump headfirst into a bottle of Prozac.

I have to chuckle, as a Minnesotan reading this thread. Seattle weather is alot like.....Seattle. Minnesota weather is alot like..... Minnesota. I agree you should thoroughly research the weather prior to moving somewhere. Seattle or Minneapolis residents are not stupid enough to try to convince people that the weather is great where they live. You live there for other reasons.

I have lived in Portland, OR, San Diego, Chicago, and Manhattan. I will be in Minneapolis for the rest of my life. To each his (or her) own, I say.

My nephew & his wife are moving to Seattle this week. They've vacationed there and are transferring because of his job. I've never been there, but I would think there are good and bad things about living almost anywhere! I live in the South and I do love it, EXCEPT for the humidity in the summer. I think the rain in Seattle would get to me; the cold winters in some places would get to me; etc. etc. . . .