Houston - 54
Chicago - 38
Atlanta - 50
Cleveland - 39
St. Louis - 39
Miami - 56
I think you get the point. Where the NW complainers do have a point, is with the frequency of the precipitation, and not the amount. Seattle and Portland average about 30 days more per year with days that have precipitation. (Precipitation is greater than or equal to 0.01 in.) Also, both cities are on the high side when it comes to cloudy days per year.
So, if I hear you complain about having "so much rain" in Seattle/Portland, don't be offended if I laugh. It's simply not true. If you complain about having another day of rain or clouds, I will try and feel your pain. But let's be real, if you are complaining that it's raining "again", and it only rains 0.01 in, you probably shouldn't be living in the NW!
*Please note: I'm using "rain" and "precipitation" interchangeably. I know, technically they are different. All rain is precipitation, but not all precipitation is rain.
**Also note: All figures are based on yearly averages.
Sources: Wikipedia, NOAA
you do have a point about the rainfall, however, having lived through a terrible cold and rainy May and June, let me tell you that it does in fact suck. One major thing you failed to take into account is the average temperature as compared to the other cities.
ReplyDeleteFor me June tells the whole story. While most other parts of the country were sweltering under heatwaves, Seattle still required us to dress in fleece jackets and jeans. Memorial Day weekend and the the 4th of July were both miserable. Gray, chilly and drizzly. (sure not a big AMOUNT of rain, but SUPER annoying, esp after a long winter of the same)
My major point about Seattle is that while the winters are more mild temp wise, the problems is that other parts of the country with more severe winters can at least count on warm summers that helps to alleviate the winter pain. Seattle, at least this year, has had no such luxury.
The first real warm sunny day was July 6th. We haven't even had 3 weeks of good weather yet and Sept is just around the corner! ahhhhhh!!!!
Check this out for avg. temps in June:
http://www.beautifulseattle.com/mthsum.asp
Yeah, I realize my arguments aren't perfect, and don't take the entire climate/ecosystem into account. Everything you said is obviously valid. I guess my main point focuses on the last paragraph. I feel like all the time I hear people say how there is "so much rain" in Seattle/Portland. On average, that just isn't true. The amount of rain the cities get are pretty average. The frequency, the number of days that have rain, is a different story. The same goes for temperature, as you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteI just think it is both funny, and at the same time annoying, how many people refer to rain in Seattle/Portland. Usually it is taken out of context. That is all. :)