A winter full of short days and rain — how gloomy is the Pacific Northwest, really?
In today’s not so surprising news: Bellingham and Whatcom County are part of a region that’s been named the gloomiest place in America during the winter.
That’s according to BestPlaces.net, a website that collects info and makes lists of the best places to live.
“As we near the winter months, some areas of the country are affected by the changing seasons more than others,” BestPlaces says in a release.
BestPlaces says its data team looked at three key factors in November, December and January to come up with its “gloom score.”
Those factors are:
▪ percentage of cloud cover.
▪ average hours of daylight.
▪ days with precipitation.
So, yeah, those of us who live here — drinking so much coffee we’re practically bathing in it during the dark o’clock months — are not shocked to learn that Seattle and Portland, Oregon, are No. 1 and No. 2 respectively on the list of the top 10 gloomiest places in the country.
The list assesses the top 50 metro areas, but an accompanying map shows Whatcom County right at the northern extreme of a dreary swath covering the Pacific Northwest.
The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area was ranked the most gloomy metro area in the United States with a gloom score — determined by the list’s key factors of 90.9.
The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro area that straddles Oregon and Washington was a close second with a gloom score of 88.20, while the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls in New York state was third with a gloom score of 88.03.
The least gloomy place during winter? Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Arizona, with a measly gloom score of 22.43.
The release from BestPlaces says the Pacific Northwest won’t be happy about the landing on the top of this gloom list, even linking our gray winter days to the emergence of grunge in the 1990s and saying the music “reflects this oft-oppressive feeling of gloom.”
BestPlaces says you might be at risk for seasonal affective disorder, or S.A.D., if you live in a dreary place.
It’s kind of like the winter blues. Symptoms include sleeping too much, low energy, weight gain and changes in appetite, specifically craving foods that are high in carbohydrates, according to the Mayo Clinic website.
Still, we admit we’re OK with landing on this gloomy list.
Our long, sunny summer days make up for the scarcity of light during winter.
This story was originally published November 14, 2019 at 11:59 AM.
