One of the really nice things about living on the Pacific side of the Olympic peninsula is that it’s nearly always cooler than the rest of the state, except in winter (when it’s usually milder). In Oklahoma, there was about a 50oC range between typical summer highs and typical winter lows; at Sunset, the range is only about 30oC. During that awful heat wave at the end of June, we were a few degrees cooler than Seattle and were out of it almost two days earlier, and when I drive home it’s not unusual to feel perfectly comfortable in shirtsleeves in Seattle, only to feel distinctly chilly when I get out of the car at Sunset. And virtually as soon as the Dog Days were over two weeks ago, the temperature dropped so much I closed my office window, which has been open since early June. At the moment I’m writing this, my weather app shows a 6oC difference between Seattle and Sunset, and that’s not especially unusual. So it’s beginning to feel a bit autumnal here already, and a few days ago I actually wore a sweater one day; in two more weeks the autumn will arrive in earnest, and not a day too soon for me.
Diary #584
September 7, 2021 by Maggie McNeill
Oh, I had the impression you were just across Puget Sound. So how long is your commute?
About 2 hours if late at night. About 2.25 hours if on a typical day outside traffic times. Much longer if I’m stupid enough to attempt it while there’s traffic in Pierce County, which is why I’m careful to leave at certain times.
Loved spending time exploring the Hoh Rain forest, west side of the Olympics are marvelous!