What is #Kitsap REALLY like in the fall?

It's true, we Pacific Northwest types LOVE to tell everyone how our gorgeous summers confound the popular myth about soggy Puget Sound.  Week after week of drenching sunshine that never gets TOO hot, cool nights, and extra long days.  Our gardens thrive, our families and friends find every excuse to be outdoors, and . . . well, please do at least come visit us some summer, even if you never move here.  You absolutely must.

But . . . we wouldn't be called The Evergreen State without some rainfall to keep things looking verdant and lush.  The fact is, it falls mostly from about October through March, give or take.

Source:  NOAA

That's a pretty dramatic rainfall difference season to season, right? If you're from another climate zone, the thing to zero in on - the thing that keeps us resolutely zipping up our raincoats and turning on the windshield wipers all fall and winter - is that the TEMPERATURES are so moderately inclined, along with our seasonal rainfall.  We just don't see the wild temp extremes of (for example) the upper Midwest, or New England.  In fact, you'll note we don't even have low averages that fall below freezing.

That's not to say we don't get freezing weather and snow - we do:

Snow does often show up sometime between December and February - it just typically doesn't last very long, and is often accompanied with a sense of holiday, as Snow Days get declared for everyone.  We don't have a fantastic infrastructure for the plowing and removal of snow, which allows those snowier climates to get on with things in heavy snow. It simply wouldn't see enough use to justify the expense.  On those rare extra wintry days, we all tend to hunker down, light fires if we have them, brew up the hot chocolate, and rave about how much we love snow.  (While those of us who have lived in snowier places nod sagely and remember endless months of sidewalk shoveling and windshield scraping, that lifelong Puget Sound types will never understand.)  In terms of Fall lifestyle though - we only rarely see the snow fly, and only in very late fall. 

If you've lived in wintry areas, you'll know allll about winter and summer tires, for sure - and it's a focus of your fall "preparedness" activities.  We really don't do that here - we tend to look for good, all season tires that will be good at shedding rain, and then use them year round until it's time to replace.  That does make for a little simpler car care - and perhaps, less expense and needed storage space, depending on your vehicle's need.

Dress for the weather, and keep going!

One thing we are serious about in this area is good rain gear.  It's something we tend to spend decent money on, and take good care of.  If you stay dry - you stay warm.  We tend to layer fleece and such underneath, as the temperatures demand.  Footwear will reflect whether you've selected a mostly urban setting for yourself, or something with a bit of land.  Even those with a decidedly paved living situation, often find they like shoes that are good on a trail, in any weather.  And yes, the stereotypes of Washingtonians who wear socks with their sandals is true.  Wool socks under all-weather sandals make a lot of us pretty happy!

Especially in this pandemic year, many of us like to use the indoor time of Fall and Winter to cook.  We make homemade applesauce or apple pies with our area's abundant apple harvests (so many of us have plentiful trees right in our own yards!) and start up the smoker for homemade smoked salmon.  Even if you're not a foodie at heart, it's easy to seek out local foods, and enjoy the plenty of our area.

We don't want to give the impression that we are all homebound this time of year - on the contrary, Kitsap boasts (...in non-pandemic years ) a wide range of fall festivals and outings to attend.  If you're looking for day trips, our counties across the water vastly expand your festival options.

We tend to really take the view that the rain and darker days need not interfere with everything we love about Puget Sound - we just carry on!  You'll love the sense of resilience the locals show, it really is a (thankfully harmless . . . time to take off, coronavirus!) contagious spirit.

So take heart, we know you'll love our quiet, introspective, refreshing, evergreen-making fall season here in Kitsap!  If you're ready to make the move, give us a ring at Dupuis Team real estate - we'd love to help make it your best move ever.