Seattle Winter

---

Yes, it can be cold, snowy, and rainy in Seattle in February. It might also be sunny and clear. Flip a coin, since either one is possible. But rarely does it force the fine folks in Seattle from going out and about their fabulous city. First, drink a hot toddy, the hit a Russian spa. If that fails to warm you up, try a skating rink.

Some ski resorts have been known to open as early as July! Long underwear is always in my suitcase, though locals rarely even carry an umbrella or raincoat. I have been in Seattle numerous times, during my working career, where it has snowed to the point of paralyzing the city. The downtown area is quite hilly, rendering cars without snow chains or snow tires relatively similar to bumper cars at the amusement park.

It turns out that Canadian comfort food becomes very important. Read that as lots of fried foods, meat in casings, and poutine, which is cheese curds, fries, and gravy. They did not say if a statin was also served with that meal.

Much like back in the City, Seattle also has a polar bear plunge. Of course, Seattle draws over 1500, San Francisco is lucky to get fifty crazies. And one other fact. Everyone seems to talk about Seattle's coffee joints on every block. But equally ubiquitous are Seattle's bars, one on every corner, or more!

As a weather factoid, Seattle did get their first snow of the season on Saturday, February 8, a total of 2.9 inches at Sea-Tac Airport. A light dusting of snow (1.1 inches) arrived earlier on December 20, 2013. Seattle averages about six inches of snow annually. The last major snowstorm was in January 2012, when 9.6 inches of snow hit the area. For those of us lucky enough to be downtown, it feels like the entire city belongs to only a few of us. Everyone else has disappeared!

Bottom line, I think we need to find some indoor activities. This includes having a cocktail party in our suite at the Hotel Andra. This will be our third cocktail party, complete with champagne, and great appetizers from Trader Joe's, Uwajimaya, Serious Pie, and Whole Foods. Oh, and I might owe my Seattle friends some Seahawk champagne, since their team barely eked out a win over our Forty Niners, and went on to win the Super Bowl. Meals at our favorite spots, lots of friends, and even perhaps some family around. That is a winning formula for a great trip. Get ready for some fun!

---