Is the weather really that dreadful?

I grew up in Vancouver and I am used to rain. But I am also used to beautiful summers and springs that it has.

Is England really as awful weather wise as people say it is? I am a bit nervous about the shift. I have been in sunny southern California for so long I wonder if that rain-cloud depression might actually sink in.

Thoughts?

It's not that bad, honest .

We do get lots of cloudy days, which aren't the most fun, but when it's sunny, it can be lovely (especially in summer) . We get about 2-3 inches of rain per month on average, but that is mostly drizzle/light rain, rather than heavy rain.

Unfortunately, though because the UK is an island we are affected by 6 different airmasses, from the warm, moist tropical air from the Atlantic (bringing low cloud and drizzle) to cold air from the Arctic (bringing showers in the north) to hot, dry air from the continent (bringing temps in the 80s and sometimes 90s in the summer).

It's also hard to predict what each year will bring, because the weather is so changeable: one year we might have lots of hot, sunny weather in the summer with record-breaking temperatures, and the next summer it might rain for 2 months straight. We might get a mild winter one year with mostly rain and temperatures up in the 40s/50s and another year it might be sub-zero temperatures with lots of snow (like this year).

I think the main thing that people find hard to deal with is the grey skies... sometimes we can go several days without seeing any blue sky at all (even if there is no rain), but to be honest, it's one of those things you end up having to ignore and not think too much about. You just have to go about your day no matter what the weather.

I've lived in New Mexico before, where there are 330 days of sunshine per year... and I didn't see any rain for 6 months, so by the time the summer thunderstorms came I was extremely relieved to finally see rain again .

I actually find the weather here in the UK pretty interesting, but then I am a meteorologist/weather forecaster (in training - I have a practical forecasting exam in about 12 hours!) .

Is England really as awful weather wise as people say it is? 

Yes! 

Yes! 

Definitely.  Around September you can kiss the sun goodbye and then say hello again in March if you're lucky.  There are the odd teaser days here and there where it will peak through and smile at you for an hour or two...just enough to make you question what that giant ball of burning gases is.

Also the sun likes to go down around 4pm and not come up until 8:30am.  And in the summer it goes down around 11pm and comes back up at 3am.   

For me the weather was better than I expected but the short days were a shocker. I wasn't expecting that at all..and it still does my head in.

I think the main thing that people find hard to deal with is the grey skies... sometimes we can go several days without seeing any blue sky at all (even if there is no rain), but to be honest, it's one of those things you end up having to ignore and not think too much about. You just have to go about your day no matter what the weather.

That sums it up exceptionally well.

p.s. Also, thanks for the meteorology.  

For me the weather was better than I expected but the short days were a shocker. I wasn't expecting that at all..and it still does my head in.

Totally agree with this

and this

I think the main thing that people find hard to deal with is the grey skies... sometimes we can go several days without seeing any blue sky at all (even if there is no rain), but to be honest, it's one of those things you end up having to ignore and not think too much about. You just have to go about your day no matter what the weather.

If you wait around for the rain to stop you'll never do anything!

It depends on where you go, to some extent. Some parts of the country are drier and sunnier than others, though you'll probably find them all greyer and wetter than California, I'm afraid.

It does rain quite a bit, but that's why everything's so lush and green. It's a payoff that's well worth it to me.

I've spent time growing up in Mauritius and Louisiana, so you'd think I'd like hotter weather, but I far prefer it in the UK. There are grey days in the winter, but in my books nowhere's nicer on earth than England in June!  

It depends on where you go, to some extent. Some parts of the country are drier and sunnier than others, though you'll probably find them all greyer and wetter than California, I'm afraid.

It does rain quite a bit, but that's why everything's so lush and green. It's a payoff that's well worth it to me.

I've spent time growing up in Mauritius and Louisiana, so you'd think I'd like hotter weather, but I far prefer it in the UK. There are grey days in the winter, but in my books nowhere's nicer on earth than England in June!  

Agreed.  When I lived in southern California the constant sunshine really got on my nerves.  And honestly, the UK's raininess is no worse than Syracuse (where I once lived) and the dark in the winter is no worse than Wisconsin (where I also once lived).  So meh--the weather doesn't bother me.  Plus, the payoff for the short winter days is the long summer ones.  I love a 10.30 sunset.  In SoCal the summer days are far too short. 

The only thing that really gets to me are the very short winter days.  I can roll with the rest of it.  I thought I knew what to expect, coming from Boston and having lived in Maine, but I still really didn't grasp how much it would affect me that first year.  That said, it's a trade off for milder winters and a much earlier start to spring.  I also prefer the milder summers -- I dislike extreme heat, so I will take a day with a light cardigan over sweltering temps any time! 

Sometimes the gray does get to be a bit much, but I just came back from a trip to MA/RI and the endless snow was getting to be a bit much, too.  And when I lived in DC, the awful August heat and humidity got to me, too.  So...I have clearly just not found my perfect location yet.

Doesn't bother me at all.

I've only lived here two full years (plus change) so my observations are rather subjective.
Also I am in Bristol and there is a considerable difference between short geographical distances.

Last summer was ace as far as I'm concerned.  I wore short sleeves for a few months in a row and only occasionally needed the light cardigan I know to carry around with me just in case.  Even then, occasional summer days in a light cardy is preferable to to the swamp hot SE US environment I left.

The previous summer (2009) - it was about 2 weeks of solid short sleeve weather.  Lots more rain and gray.  But it was OK for me because I was happy.

For me, I've noticed that when my mood drops, the weather is much more of a bug bear.  When I'm too occupied to notice, even short Dec/Jan days don't get me down.

I appreciate sunny days MUCH more than I ever have.  And solid blue skies?  That's a thing to behold these days.

I think the benefit of long summer evenings outweighs the pain of short winter days. The way I look at it, if you're working it's going to be going dark in winter at the end of a typical workday even in most parts of the US. Whereas there's nothing better than being able to do outdoor activities until 10pm or later during the summer in the UK.

As for the weather, the lack of sun in winter can be a real drag. But, otoh, the combination of heat and humidity on the eastern seaboard was much more problematic for me.

Thanks for the feedback... sounds like home to me. 

I probably won't even notice once I get into the groove. And I plan to spend a lot of my time traveling so hopefully I don't have that winter fever setting in.

Agreed.  When I lived in southern California the constant sunshine really got on my nerves.  And honestly, the UK's raininess is no worse than Syracuse (where I once lived) and the dark in the winter is no worse than Wisconsin (where I also once lived).  So meh--the weather doesn't bother me.  Plus, the payoff for the short winter days is the long summer ones.  I love a 10.30 sunset.  In SoCal the summer days are far too short. 

I'm from near-ish to Syracuse and the winter can be dark and it's always long, but I would say that the upshot (over the UK) is the snow!  When you're prepared for it, it's great.  I much prefer long dark winters with snow in Syracuse to long dark winters that are a bit cold but with really cold rain.  Winter without proper snow is most unpleasant.