When does summer start? Life in the PNW

Ok I love living in the Northwest but I am so *((%&^#@!!# of lack of sun!!!!!

If you live in the Seattle area how are you making it through Sprinterfall?

March lasted right up to mid july this year in the willamette valley making the sudden "seasonably normal" low 80 degree temps seem like an absolute furnace.

Keeping with the oatmeal thread also going on I give you the four seasons of Seattle's weather

I'd happily trade you a little sunshine and about 10 degrees of our temps for a little rain. We usually have 13 inches by this time and we've only had 6.

I don't want to give up my life to documenting the weather, but I'd swear the last couple of years here (in Portland) have been worse than historically average in terms of Summer starting late and never really getting properly nice for extended periods.

It did take me a couple of decades to lose the idea that June = end of school = start of Summer. 4th of July was not infrequently wet, but shortly thereafter, things usually were mostly gorgeous well into September.

I'm really, really, hoping that we finish the garage this Summer, and that this results in not hating the other three seasons so much. I've also discovered in the last couple of years that having a hobby which perversely celebrates the crappy weather can help.

Pft, move back to California.

Are you a native? Few of the natives I know complain about the weather, but ALL of the transplants to the area (that I know) do. As long as you aren't trying to grow anything other than moss, I think the weather has been really nice this year.

In reply to Mezzanine:

Lucky guess! But I've been here since '85; my family moved when I was 13. And that was from S.F., so it's not like I've ever lived where it's sunny all that much.

My hops are actually growing quite nicely

I miss Seattle weather. I've lived all over the country and that's the one place I would like to go back to someday.

Not a lot of snow to deal with unless you want to then head up to the mountains, not a lot of humidity, not a lot of scorching heat, less annual rainfall than New York City, great scenery, what's not to love unless you are made of sugar.

I moved (back) to Florida 2 years ago from Seattle, and I've missed Seattle every freaking day since. Seriously. I miss the the dreary weather, the drizzle, the landscape, the people, the car scene, the culture, and Pagliacci pizza. I miss Red Mill's burgers, Dicks Drive-in, Chinooks, and Cedars (in University district). I miss Greenlake, Chateau Saint Michelle winery, Bumbershoot, the Seattle Opera, Golden Gardens park, Alki, and Woodland Park Zoo. I miss BSCC auto-x, the rally scene, and incredible scenic drives like the Mountain Loop Highway and drive up to Leavenworth.

To answer your question... I went to every auto-x and meet I could. I took drives, went to parks, at at awesome restaurants, and hung with friends, whether it was 80 and sunny or 50 and raining. I'd give up the 90+ degree temps, 100%+ humidity, and the daily gawdawful 3 hour long torrential downpours that make it a steam bath here, gladly to suffer the "horrors" of a Seattle summer.

In fact, ya wanna house-trade? I'm 20 minutes from some of the most beautiful beaches in the world: http://www.sarasotafl.org/beaches/

August in South Florida- 90+ degrees every day. Rain every afternoon. Humidity 80 percent or higher. Raining hard right now. The grass grows so fast you can watch it. Can't wait for October. Oh, and three tropical waves headed our way to add to the excitement. I guess everybody complains about the weather. But, no snowbirds yet.

Florida as it stands right now today run from AC to Ac and leech all the AC you can while your out , myzer your AC/electric consumption on places you are paying the bills on . Then it happens 80s and sunny , then 70s and sunny . The hunting camp in keaton beach with 70 degree weather just about perfect , add cheap beer and guns

I have a theory- the worse the weather, the nicer the people. EX: Miami, Milwaukee, Seattle, Orlando.

I have learned to enjoy being hot; it makes life in Florida much easier.

The berkeleying leaves are turning color already, and we've had, like, 7 nice days this summer?? It's been the worst weather year since I moved here in '95. (Though, as I write this, it's low 70s and pretty damn nice. Of course, it only took a good chunk of the day for the sun to come out.) Usually, summer is payback for the gray/wet/dark winter (love those 4:30 sunsets...).

Speaking of winter, I try to keep the insanity at bay by going somewhere sunny. I ski a lot, too. Sometimes, the sun comes out in the mountains. This is near Alpental, about an hour from town:

(Yeah, it may be time to think about living somewhere else...)

Summer is for motorcycling and jet skiing.

Winter is for snow skiing.

Sure it's hot in Texas, but Dallas is only a ten hour drive from the ski slopes of New Mexico.

ransom wrote: I don't want to give up my life to documenting the weather, but I'd swear the last couple of years here (in Portland) have been worse than historically average in terms of Summer starting late and never really getting properly nice for extended periods....

I had heard recently that there is some sort of current or climatic pattern that has setup that is expected to bring cooler then normal temperatures to the west coast for about 10 years.

I am in SoCal, and I think it is great, the last two years have definitely been cooler than "normal". Having grown up in the San Fransisco Bay Area, it works for me.