Seattle?

[Vic.]

Howdy.

I'm considering a move to Seattle next year. I've visited before and it's a fine place, so I'm mainly curious about the weather and recommended locations.

How do you deal with persistently rainy weather living in a vehicle?

And, if you've been there, any spots you'd recommend for stealthy overnights?

 

[kyonu]

I lived there for 2 years a while back, and let me tell you--there is a LOT of rain. Adding something like RainX to your roof might not be a bad idea. It snows a lot in Winter (and stays for a while), and during the winter your days are extremely short. The breath of fresh air outside the city is nice and the view of Mt Rainier is fantastic, but it's cloudy every single morning (from when I was there, possibly due to the water and wind coming off the rockies.)

Dunno about places to stay though.

 

[Suanne]

I've been in the Seattle area since 1979. But, I don't vandwell here, and I'm one of those folks that likes rain.

I live about 30 miles east of Seattle at the foothills of the Cascade Mountain Range. If you are talking about Seattle proper, then I would say that it's like most large cities where overnighting in a vehicle is discouraged, if not illegal. So, you've got to be real good at being stealth, or overnight in one of the neighboring towns. For example, the Walmart in Renton allows overnight parking, last I checked.

As for the weather, you'll find lots of overcast skies and drizzly rain. One winter we had absolutely no sun breaks for more than 4 months. It doesn't snow a lot; but, when it does everything shuts down. The snow quickly turns to ice and driving is treacherous. With budget cuts less roads are getting sanded or plowed too. But, we've not had any snow for more than half the winters since I've been here. It does get below freezing, mostly at night, but rarely into the teens. The daylight hours are very short in the winter too.

But, in the summers the days are very long. For example, the sun sets here at 9:10pm right now. Usually the summers are beautiful with the average daytime high in the 70's, and rarely reaches into the 90's. We still get some overcast skies and rain in the summers. In my eyes, it's hard to beat the natural beauty of the area. It's right on the ocean (Puget Sound) with the Cascade and Olympic Mountains on the east and west. Three spectacular National Parks surround Seattle -- Olympic, North Cascades, and Mt. Rainier.

If you don't need to live in Seattle proper, we've got several National Forests for dispersed camping, with Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie NF being the closest.

Also, do a search for other threads in the forums that discuss Seattle. You'll probably find some additional information.

Suanne ... likes the rain, but still getting ready to start snowbirding in the winter

 

[Patrick46]

I live on the Southern Oregon Coastline, and our weather is darn near parallel to Seattle's.

Yep...you've gotta like rain. (or at least not mind months of it....NON-STOP!!!......SERIOUSLY)


Tons of cultural things to do up there, and anywhere in the Pacific NorthWest actually. There are always good concerts (indoors and out), groovy people and places to see. And there is so much to do in the region. LOTS of excellent camping and hiking.

(You COULD always snowbird it for the winters, ya know!)

 

[Vic.]

Heh, yea, I thought to search 'seattle' after I started the thread. But thanks for the info and tips!

The rub here is I need to work fulltime, and the best work I can get with my experience is white collar office stuff. So I'd probably need to be where the companies are in the Seattle-Redmond area.

---

I'll add that I dig the rain and overcast days. My favorites.

But it's gotta suck to get into a vehicle with wet clothes/shoes. And I know from experience that cold nights prevent good sleep.

---

It's like I'm trying to talk myself out of it! Definitely not. Just thinking onto the screen.

 

[mockturtle]

A lot--if not most--of the NFS campgrounds close in the fall. Quite a few state parks are open all year but they are very pricey.

Yes, it rains pretty much from late September to July--sometimes longer--and there can be weeks without any sunshine at all. But summers are wonderful, not usually too hot. I would second the recommendation of living outside the city. Seattle is one of the most expensive cities in the US to live in and fuel prices here in WA are ridiculous.

 

[Patrick46]

I sleep much better when it's cool, and not hot.

I do get tired of the wet after awhile though.

I moved out here to Oregon 26 years ago, and since I've been here, the only time I've ever been in below zero weather was when I was up in Alaksa.
I was raised in Wisconsin, and this happened many times every year.


but like everything else, it's give and take.

 

[akrvbob]

Being in a rainy area constantly reduces the amount of light hitting your eyes and your body. It's a well established scientific fact that humans need sun to be at their best physically, emotionally and mentally. But we are also adaptable so when we spend a great deal of time without the sun we get used to being below optimal. We think we are fine when in fact we aren't.

I've lived with both extremes, 45 years in Alaska with extreme extra light and then extreme light deprivation. The last 6 years I've lived in the desert through the winter with a huge abundance of light.

Based on the science and on my personal experience, my advice to everybody is run like hell away from the Northwest coast in the winter!!
Bob

 

[Sameer]

I agree with Bob! Run to the desert. I spent last Summer in the Northwest and BC. TOO MUCH RAIN! This Summer I am in Cortez, Colorado, up and down to Telluride depending on the temperature and now leaving for Flagstaff and Williams because of better phone, internet and of course, TV. Going to watch the World Cup Finals at Exit 191-Flagstaff...on Sunday! It is a great spot near the Navel Observatory.

 

[Suanne]

The Greater Seattle area is having no shortage of sunshine for the foreseeable future. The weather forecasters are saying it'll be the longest heat wave in history. Other parts of the country will scoff at the "highs" into the 90's ... but, remember, most PNW homes don't have any AC. And, the humidity is pretty high too (tho' not like the SE US). But, if worse comes to worse, I'll head to the mountains.

Suanne ... who's "Prius RV" is always ready to go

 

[jeanontheroad]

If Bob ever has to leave the desert, we're all going to have to chip in and get him a Grow Lamp.

 

[TraciAnn]

No rain in Seattle this week... just HOT. I like Seattle, (I 90 miles south) and the grey cloudy days do not get to me, but the damp does. I could just be getting old! I will say that you will never run out of things to do. The public transportation is manageable. (not the best, not the worse) The hills will kill you if you bike or walk anywhere, and you pretty much need to live out of a car since rent is sky high. As far as parking, well last time I was there I was at the VA hospital, and parked the RV by the hospital for a night....stay out of downtown, and find a Wall Mart or somewhere on the outskirts.

 

[Vic.]

Yeah it's that constant damp that'll get me. Living on a boat for a time taught me that. It'll be tough enough in a small space without that annoyance.

Still curious how to deal with wet clothes / towels in a vehicle... (thinking a sealed drying box with direct air vent to the exterior), but that's a different set of research.