I think I want to move to Seattle. Is it really as rainy as I've heard?

Question

I live in Clearwater, Florida now; I'm from Columbus, Ohio.
What do you guys think, is it bad in Seattle? Obstructive?

Answer 1

It is more of the constant cool grey weather than the rain.

Yes, we get about 37 inches of rain annually. But we get it one slow drizzle at a time from the end of September through June. Yes, that's 9 months of cool grey damp weather per year.

Does the grey get most of us down? Yes. You have to work hard through the winter to get outside despite the damp. Does it stop us? Not really. On any given day you could be skiing, sailing, kayaking, hiking. And when you REALLY don't want to be outside in the damp, we have lots of movie theaters, bookstores and coffee shops where you can hang out waiting for the next sunbreak.

The summers here are spectacular - sunny and dry. It's rare for us to get a thunderstorm. For the most part our summer heat is dry. Most nights it still drops into the 60's. While you will still want A/C in your car because of the heat generated by the sunny days, most homes and apartments do not come with A/C because it only gets hot enough to need it for 1-2 weeks each year.

Answer 2

I spent about a week there last year and saw nothing but clear skies and sunshine. Maybe I was just there on a dry streak?

According to WikiPedia though, the city is on the margin of the "rain shadow" of the Olympic mountains and receives only 37.1 inches of rain per year which is probably rather standard for most cities. From what I found with a quick look it seems that where you are in Florida gets at least as much rain per year, if not a bit more, than Seattle.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I've lived in Seattle for a little less than a year and to be honest with you it isn't as bad as many think. What Seattle really has a lot of are rain clouds. Most days are cloudy and gray, and since the sun in blocked by the clouds, it's kinda chilly. But as for rain, nothing to make a fuss over. When it does rain, it's this wimpy, misty rain that doesn't amount to much.
I've lived in Florida and when it rains in Florida, it RAINS! The kinda rain that soaks you to your undies.
Seattle rain? Bah!

Answer 4

Yes it rains but look on the bright side, it keeps your complexion looking a lot younger than if you live in a dry place. You get used to it and the spring and summersleave vegitation still looking green all year. I kind like that. I have thought about moving away but there are great things about it. The coolest thing I think I have ever seen(Call me sheltered)and it took me all day to get thru it, was the Music museum by the space needle. It has all kinds of music represented. They have a big display on jimi hendrix. Displayed are the clothes and insturments from the bands, lyric books and what not. They have head phones that you point at a spot on the glass and it tells you all about the exibit.So cool. Good luck.

Answer 5

No more rainy here than on the east coast, just a bit cooler than Florida.
However, if we go for several days without rain and then get a shower, driver's brains turn off and suddenly the Seattlites forget how to drive safely in the rain and the freeways become congested with the remains of their vehicles.
Snow only turns the entire community of drivers into idiots.

However, the drivers here tend to be more polite than in other places that I've visited.

There's the good with the bad. I hope I haven't scared you off. Welcome.

Answer 6

If grey days bother you, then you won't like Seattle. It's grey almost three hundred days a year, and in winter, the sun only shines for about 8 hours. It's going to be about as directly opposite Florida as you can find in the lower 48.

Answer 7

you know, everyone always talks about how it rains all the time in seattle...it actually doesn't rain any more there than it does in new york...it's the almost constantly overcast skies in seattle that would get me down...i need my sunshine! but i hear it's a really great place to live...(and hey, you're already used to that thunderstorm every afternoon around 4:00 during the summer anyway, right?)

Answer 8

It does rain quite a bit,but the summer months give you a break. Obstructive ? Only the 800 ft trees that block your view.

Answer 9

Since I've been here it's rained everyday and a lot, but I haven't lived here very long

Answer 10

Ive visited Seattle a number of times and love the area, Im not sure how many times it rains, but I know when it rains, it rains HARD. Its definantly a different scene there, its not for everyone.