The leaves are turning brown. The days are getting shorter. Wet weather is back in the forecast and “atmospheric river” weather patterns are starting to move through Western Washington. The “big dark” has officially arrived.
“We’re definitely transitioning into a fall pattern here,” said Harrison Rademacher, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle.
This year’s fall and winter might be gloomier than usual. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration is projecting a La Niña weather pattern, which could cause unusually cool and wet days for the Pacific Northwest. It’s still too soon to say exactly how things will shake out, Rademacher said, but more rainfall is likely.
“It can really vary,” Rademacher said. “Even the weakest of La Niña, they can actually produce a lot more rain than we expect.”
Seattle typically sees about 15.6 inches of rainfall during the winter months, Rademacher said. The rainiest winter on record since 1945 was in 2016, with 24.6 inches. The driest was in 1977, with 5.2 inches.
But Seattle winters aren’t just wet — they can also be crushingly dark.
The sun is currently setting around 6:20 p.m. On Nov. 3, daylight saving time will end, and clocks will jump backwards one hour. By mid-November, the sun will be setting around 4:30 p.m. — before many people get off work.
The next time the sun sets after 7 p.m. won't be until March 9, 2025, when daylight saving time kicks back in.
The lack of daylight can be hard to bear. Nearly 40% of Americans report an overall mood decline during the winter, according to a poll from the American Psychiatric Association.
As rainy skies and short days return, we asked people in Seattle what tips they have for making it through.
Stay social
On a brisk and overcast morning last week, Leah Rector was setting up a table in the University of Washington's Red Square to sell flowers for the school's figure skating team.
Rector, a sophomore, thinks staying social is key to making it through the long winters.
"I would say just hanging out with people and making sure to spend time with them," Rector said.
Rector said she has friends who've found that lightbox therapy can also be helpful during the dark months. Lightboxes mimic outdoor light, and are often used to treat seasonal affective disorder, a form of seasonal depression often known as SAD. The Mayo Clinic recommends that people consult a healthcare provider before starting lightbox therapy.
Learn to enjoy it (and maybe try vitamin D)
Ken Ruther is a lifelong Washingtonian. He prefers summers, but said he's learned to embrace the state's dark winters as well.
"You can't let the gray skies get to you," he said. "We have some of the most beautiful summers, so it's worth the wait. Just learn to enjoy the rain."
Ruther said he's also found vitamin D capsules to be helpful.
"It can be harder for some people from sunnier parts of the country that come here. They can get a little depressed," Ruther said. "But here in Washington, load up on your vitamin D and bear through it... especially this side of the mountain, most everybody's low on vitamin D."
Get outside
Jim Anderson, a lifelong Seattle resident, recommends staying active and walking in parks during the winter. Last Wednesday morning, he was walking around Seattle's Green Lake park with a friend.
"You just ease into the season," Anderson said. "Green Lake stays alive on the pathways all year round... if it's raining I just walk with an umbrella."
The leaves are especially gorgeous this time of year, Anderson said.
"I like to walk first thing in the morning," Anderson said. "Now that fall is here, it's dark out. But if you walk the perimeter, then you have the street lighting and you have a lit path all the way around. And then day breaks and [you] just drop in on the trail."
When daylight saving time ends on Nov. 2, sunrises will jump from just before 8 a.m. back to before 7 a.m.
Some Washington lawmakers think it's time to "ditch the switch." In 2019, the state Legislature passed a law to make daylight saving time permanent year-round — leading to darker mornings and more sunlight in the evenings. But the law can't actually go into effect without approval from Congress, which hasn't shown interest in doing so.
A bill to circumvent the federal restriction by instead switching Washington to year-round Pacific Standard Time failed to advance during this year's session.
Stay busy
Last Wednesday morning, Ovi Christea, a Kent resident, was waiting for a ride to a construction job. His advice for making it through the big dark?
"Stay busy. Do something. Work on something. Be productive," Christea said. "Don't get scared of the darkness."
For visitors from other parts of the country, Seattle's gloomy weather is sometimes an attraction.
"I came for the gray to be honest," said Matt Gahm, a Philadelphia resident who visited Seattle last week. "I like the gloom because it makes you appreciate the sunshine."
Gahm said he was hoping to catch some cloudy skies in Olympic National Park during his trip.
"That's where I thrive," Gahm said. "I want to move up north... It's a lot cleaner over here, the air feels better."
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