Have you ever thought about moving out to the West Coast? If so, you have probably heard rumors about what it means to have a northwestern zip. Seattle has a reputation of being a damp city, the kind of place where it's nice to own water front condos but you might not want to live your whole life there.

Well, it's time to break the bubble on some of those rumors. While it is true that it rains in Seattle more often than in some locations, our city is not quite as wet as its reputation would indicate. Need an example? In 2009, Seattle did not appear on a list discussing the ten rainiest cities in the United States. In fact, Seattle receives less rain per year than cities such as New York, Raleigh, Atlanta, and even Houston Texas! The odds of a shower ruining an Alfred Sung wedding here are lower than in most cities on the eastern seaboard.

The reason Seattle has such a popular reputation as a wet place to live is the presence of the Pacific Ocean nearby. Typically, a city on the ocean can count on a lot of rain as fronts blow in off the ocean and cool down, dropping moisture. In state such as Oregon, many people get cash for scrap gold just so they can weather proof their houses!

However, people tend to forget that Seattle lies in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, which means most of the moisture drops further up. We get our share, but not as much as our reputation would indicate.

Now that we've talked about one of the main weather myths involving our city, let's get to some of the big and important truths. First of all is the excellent climate we enjoy here. If you love doing things on the water, this is the place for you. Lake Washington, Puget Sound, and the Pacific Ocean are the playgrounds of thousands of Seattle residents. They take their sailboats with winged keels, their kayaks and canoes, and hundreds of other different watercraft on the water all year long.

They can do this because unlike other cities in the north and even most in the mid south of the United States, Seattle enjoys mild temperatures all year long. It rarely gets too hot or too cold to enjoy life outside. That's great news whether you are an outdoor enthusiast or an event planner; Toronto and other major cities can't boast the reliable weather Seattle enjoys.

In the summer, the sun does make frequent appearances above the city, and it's warmer and drier than many locations in California. With reliable weather that is never too extreme, Seattle is certainly a place many people enjoy living in.