Open Love Letter to the Seattle Weather

Around this time of year, June-uary in Seattle, you'll hear lots of people complaining about the weather.  Yet everyone here agrees that summers here last from July 4th until the end of August.  We have a handful of crappy days in June and people suddenly forget that we just had at least five dry and beautiful weekends in a row:

OK, I know 5/26 doesn't actually convey nice weather, it's the only pic I had from the glorious Memorial Day weekend we had here in Seattle. 

I will always be a Chicago girl, heart and soul. But when it comes to the weather: I'm a Seattle girl, through and through.  I think the only times I'm ever peeved about the weather is when I have to race in huge puddles (the rain itself is fine), when it was 2005 when we had a la nina winter without many sun breaks (more on that term in a minute) and whenever it snows. Even then, it's not the weather that's bugging me, it's our inability to deal with the snow. 

What's not to love?  The summers, although short, are incomparable with warm, crisp air in the 70s/80s and weeks without any real rain. It stays light outside until about 10pm. Our kids get outside nearly 365 days a year and it's always lush and green and beautiful. I can run year round without worrying about snow that's measured in feet (most years) or, God forbid, muggy and 90+ degree summers.  I can already see the chatter on Dailymile from the Chicago contingent about the heat and 70% humidity.  I do not miss the weather of the Midwest AT ALL. One of the many great things about Seattle weather is this term that I learned 8 years ago called 'sun breaks.' Though the forecast looks to be a rainy day, so often the clouds part and the sun comes out - sometimes for whole mornings or afternoons. We thoroughly enjoyed our week of sun breaks and another beautiful Sunday jaunt to the beach. 

So this would be weekend #6 with a nice day for venturing out.

The one thing I DO miss, ironically, is thunderstorms.  Some people might be surprised to find that we don't get those in Seattle.  Every once in awhile you'll hear a single 'boom' of thunder; but, I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've heard that solitary boom in the last eight years. 

Here's one of my favorite pics from home, of a thunderstorm rolling in.  This was taken from our roof deck.  Yeah, the condo that we had to sell before moving to Seattle (after only living there for just over a year) had a private roof deck.  MAN, I certainly do miss that deck, and that neighborhood, and the margaritas at Fernando's down the street, and the sound of the El whizzing by, and...  Well I guess that's a post for another day.