Autumn Smacks the Inland Spares the Coast

This past week the inland areas around Portland and Vancouver got a full smack upside the head with some naughty Fall weather. The temps plunged and the rain and hail came with some damaging effects. Meanwhile out at the coast, it was sunny and nice.

This is the case with the coastal regions in the Pacific Northwest during both Autumn and Winter. It can be socked in cold, rainy or snowy, and dark in Portland or Vancouver while the coast is relatively warm and sunny.

The maestros of meteorology can explain the forces that lead to this phenomenon, but it is a thing. Autumn along Washington's coast can be delightful and often just as warm as summer. The heavy marine layer sometimes moves offshore during the fall allowing for clear and warmish weather. Meanwhile inland temps generally start their precipitous march to the basement from the mid fall to mid winter.

Along the coast there is not as dramatic a swing in temps between the seasons as we have on the I-5 corridor. The Pacific Ocean is a moderating force that keeps most of the bitter cold temps away in the winter as well as the scorching heat of the summer.

Autumn can be a great time to get away to the beach with mild temps, sometimes warmer than inland and at least until mid October, not a lot of rain.

The beach is not just a summer experience, it will impress all year long.

Snow at the Coast!

Photo by Montel Graves

Southwest Washington doesn't get a whole lot of low elevation snow with a couple of incidents a year on average typically delivering 6-12 inches a year. The beach however averages more like an inch or so per year and that typically comes in an every few years event. Sunday and yesterday was one such  event. My sister lives at the coast and she provided some pictures of the rare winter wonderland at the beach.

This system that came through clipped the coastline from Northern Oregon up through the Olympic Coast but inland it more or less missed the Portland Metro which only got a light dusting in the valleys. Seattle on the other hand got a much bigger shot of snow with a few inches clogging up the Pacific Northwest's largest metro area.

There is something magical about snow on the coast. Out here on western side of North America we don't get a lot of coastal snow even in the northern reaches. The onshore flow and relatively warm ocean waters create a very mellow climate. So when a good old fashioned snow dump does happen it is really special. The crashing waves splashing up against a snowy beach rather than the usual sand is awesome.

Photo by Montel Graves

Temperatures at the coast were unusually chilly as well and this morning dropped well below freezing. It is possible another round of light snow may mix in with rain at the end of the week. Inland in places like Portland and Seattle, more snow is likely.

Keep it toasty inside this week, the moderating effects of the Pacific are off duty and the beach will get a special look at inland style winter temps. Isn't that snow pretty :)

Photo by Montel Graves

Coastal Weather Tends to Avoid the Extremes

Hey guys I am taking a cross country road trip with my youngest son, so I'll post this from a few years back about the steady eddy weather on the coast.

You Like Your Weather Static?

One of the stark contrasts with the weather and climate on the Washington coast as compared to inland areas like Portland-Vancouver is the nearly flat chart of average temperatures across the whole year. Yes if you like a fairly predictable temperature over the course of a whole year, it is hard to beat the beach. Of course it is wetter and windier at the beach but the temperatures are nearly static. Look at that chart!

In Long Beach, WA, there is only 16° of difference between the average high in July and the average high in January! Contrast that against Vancouver, WA where the difference is 36°. Or how about a place like Spokane, WA where the difference is an astonishing, 50°. You may find it interesting that Long Beach, WA has the same difference in average daily high as San Diego, CA! Yes San Diegans enjoy a tight 16° spread between summer and winter as well. Yes, I know the spread is the same but So-Cal is much warmer.

To be fair the coast tends to favor a cooler climate, but the moderating effects of the mighty Pacific Ocean keep the extremes minimized and the averages very predictable and pleasant all year long. Heat waves in the summer are very rare and when they do happen they are quite short lived. Deep freezes in the winter are equally rare and again very short lived.

So if you want to live in a place that doesn't really have a major shift in seasons then the coast could be the ticket. It is really a two season affair on the Washington Coast, a short 4 months of mild summer weather and long but very mild 8 months of winter.

The beach is affordable and fun all year round, check it out!

You Like Your Weather Static?

One of the stark contrasts with the weather and climate on the Washington coast as compared to inland areas like Portland-Vancouver is the nearly flat chart of average temperatures across the whole year. Yes if you like a fairly predictable temperature over the course of a whole year, it is hard to beat the beach. Of course it is wetter and windier at the beach but the temperatures are nearly static. Look at that chart!

In Long Beach, WA, there is only 16° of difference between the average high in July and the average high in January! Contrast that against Vancouver, WA where the difference is 36°. Or how about a place like Spokane, WA where the difference is an astonishing, 50°. You may find it interesting that Long Beach, WA has the same difference in average daily high as San Diego, CA! Yes San Diegans enjoy a tight 16° spread between summer and winter as well. Yes, I know the spread is the same but So-Cal is much warmer.

To be fair the coast tends to favor a cooler climate, but the moderating effects of the mighty Pacific Ocean keep the extremes minimized and the averages very predictable and pleasant all year long. Heat waves in the summer are very rare and when they do happen they are quite short lived. Deep freezes in the winter are equally rare and again very short lived.

So if you want to live in a place that doesn't really have a major shift in seasons then the coast could be the ticket. It is really a two season affair on the Washington Coast, a short 4 months of mild summer weather and long but very mild 8 months of winter.

The beach is affordable and fun all year round, check it out!

Retire to the Beach!

I write a retirement blog in which I offer advice and information to retirees looking to relocate to Washington State. That blog can be seen here. In that blog you can find a multitude of reasons to retire to the 'Evergreen State'.

Many retirees also find coastal areas to be a desirable spot to live. Many of the reasons that younger people can't really live on either the Oregon or Washington Coast is the lack of non-tourist cities. There isn't a whole lot of industry producing jobs on the coast of the Pacific Northwest. There is the fishing industry and the tourist industry providing the bulk of job opportunities. Retirees however are not typically concerned with job opportunities, after all, they are 'retired' right?

The lack of high paying jobs along the Southwest Washington Coast has aided in keeping real estate prices lower than Portland-Vancouver as the bulk of sales is to retirees and vacation home purchases. Retirees are often attracted to value home pricing as they tend to seek low monthly expenses on a fixed retirement income.

The coast is a beautiful place that offers year round moderate weather. In fact Long Beach, Washington only averages about 1-2 inches of snow per year about 1/5 the average for Vancouver, Washington or Portland, OR. Generally in most years there is no sticking snow at the beach. There are occasional storms that are chilly enough to dump a pile of snow and that creates a measurable average. Generally snow by year looks something like 0,0,0,0,7,0,0... When it does snow it doesn't stick around very long. The coast is just too warm for sustained snow cover. generally retirees prefer warmer and little or no snow and in the Pacific Northwest, the coast delivers.

Retiring the the Southwest Washington Coast is a very good idea. Value pricing on real estate, gorgeous coastal scenery, and mild weather. What's not to love?