What comes to mind when you think of Seattle?

For me, it's definitely the rain. Whether in movies or dramas, Seattle is always portrayed as a city where people walk around with umbrellas.

However, if you look closely at the actual weather, it's a bit different from what we imagine.

It's more accurate to say that Seattle is a city with many cloudy and damp days rather than one that gets a lot of rain.

The annual precipitation is about 38 inches, which is actually less than New York or Miami. Instead, Seattle's rain isn't the kind that pours down all day long.

It often drizzles for a bit, then stops, and there are many days with light rain.

So, locals often don't even pull out their umbrellas for a little rain.

Many people just wear a waterproof jacket with a hood and go about their day. At first, I thought, "Why aren't they using umbrellas when it's raining?" But over time, you come to understand.

The real issue is not the rain, but the lack of sunshine.

Especially from November through winter into early spring, there are days when the gray sky seems to linger on.

You wake up to cloudy skies in the morning, it's still cloudy at lunch, and by around 4 PM, it's already getting dark. For those who have lived in warmer places like California, it can be hard to adjust to this.

The winter temperatures themselves aren't as harsh as you might think. Typically, they hover around the 40°F range, about 4 to 8 degrees Celsius. It's not like places such as Chicago or Minnesota, where sub-zero temperatures last for weeks.

Snow also doesn't fall as much as you might expect. The average annual snowfall in the city is around 6 inches. Interestingly, even a little snow can cause chaos in Seattle. The city has many hills, so just 2 to 3 inches can lead to slippery roads and changes in bus routes.

However, the story is completely different in the mountains. The Cascade Range gets a lot of snow, making it a great place for skiing and snowboarding in the winter. It's part of the fun of Seattle to go from getting rained on in the city to finding a snowy wonderland in the mountains.

But the real twist in Seattle's weather comes in the summer.

If you visit Seattle from June to August, you might wonder, "Is this really the rainy place?" The daytime temperatures are usually in the 70°F range, not too hot, and the humidity is relatively low, making it very pleasant. The sun sets late, so it's great for evening walks, visiting parks, and enjoying the lakes.

Of course, these days, Seattle isn't what it used to be, with more hot days exceeding 80°F, and occasionally severe heat waves. So, if you're in an older home without air conditioning, it's a good idea to check on cooling options for the summer.

Spring is also quite beautiful. It can rain, then suddenly the sun comes out, and cherry blossoms and various flowers start blooming all at once. The cherry blossom season at the University of Washington is also famous.

So, if you're considering moving to Seattle, I would recommend visiting in winter rather than summer.

If you go in summer, you might love it so much that you want to move right away. But what you really need to endure isn't just a few raindrops, but the gray skies that can last for months.

It seems that in Seattle, the more important question isn't whether you can handle the rain, but whether you can enjoy the winter without sunshine.