The Pacific Northwest is Not Always Waterlogged

What bothers me most about the myth of Oregon and Washington (namely Portland and Seattle) getting nothing but rain all the time is that Northwesterners themselves perpetuate the myth.

It's untrue that Portland and Seattle suffer in endless rain. It is true, however, that we have our fair share of overcast and drizzly days and this is what people actually mean when they talk about our wet weather.

Yes, we do have days that look like this.

I have to say to those of you who visit the Northwest in the early spring, autumn, or winter, of course there's going to be rain! Don't assume that the weather you experience on your visit is what we get all year round. Most of our days are mild, many eastern parts of our states have deserts and arid climates, and we on the western side of the states get warm, hot, and sunny days every late spring and in the summertime.

We also have plenty of days that look like this.

Take a look at the stats below, and the next time you hear someone talk about how rainy it is in the Northwest, challenge them! We actually get less rainfall than a lot of other major cities.

"It is a pertinent point out that the 36 inches of annual rainfall received by Seattle each year is less than the annual rainfall of places like New York. It is just that the rain comes down over a longer period--often precipitating as a slow drizzle, begrudgingly deposited by low lying clouds that seem to hang around far longer than necessary to get the job done."

Seattle ranks 44th among US cities for rainfall with an average yearly rainfall of 36.2 inches.

This compares to:

65 inches in Mobile, Alabama
60 inches in New Orleans, Louisiana
58 inches in Miami, Florida
49 inches in Atlanta, Georgia
45 inches in Houston, Texas
44 inches in Boston, Massachusetts
40.3 inches in New York City, New York
39 inches in Washington, D.C.
(36.2 inches in Seattle, Washington)
34.5 inches in Chicago, Illinois
19.5 inches in San Francisco, California
15 inches in Sequim, Washington (on the Olympic Peninsula)
12 inches in Los Angeles, California
4 inches in Las Vegas, Nevada

See! I told you!

Spread the word, kiddies.