“Into each life some rain must fall.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“Everyone wants happiness, Nobody wants pain, but you can’t have a rainbow, without a little rain.” Unknown
It’s raining again. We’ve had a lot of rain this year…and more cloudy days than I remember since we moved here. And the forecast is for two more rainy days after today with cool temperatures! It makes me want to sing, “Rain, rain, go away, come again another day,” like I did when I was a child. I like a little rain. I even love a thunder and lightning storm while tucked in my bed with a book. But, too many cloudy days in a row, and I start to crave sunshine.
When we lived in Syracuse, which ranks right behind Seattle for least amount of sun 46% of days, to Seattle with 43%. I used to say, “We’re behind, but we try harder. Syracuse specializes in gray and cloudy…and we should get extra credit for all the snow.” Seattle only averages 5 inches of snow. Syracuse 123 inches, the snowiest major city in New York. Plus, we got precipitation (rain and snow combined) on 174 days…Seattle, a mere 149! ” I sneeze at their precipitation!
But despite my bravado, the unrelenting grey would weigh me down. I Neeeed sunlight! I HAVE to get outside…or I’m miserable, as I told you last week. So, though the rain and snow tried to keep me inside, a little light being better than none, I would force myself to walk, slogging through the snow even in below freezing weather.
Our last New York winter my dog and I walked at the Erie Canal when there was a – 40 degree windchill. Even the snowmobilers and cross country skiers had given up. That’s how much I need outside and light!
So moving to North Carolina, known for its blue skies, four seasons but mild winter, long spring and fall, and plenty of sunshine, was just what I needed. We do get an inch or two of snow sometimes and yes, we get rain here, but almost twice as much sunshine as Syracuse. I love it!
But I probably should tell you my husband does not enjoy this weather. In fact, he misses the snow, craves the rain. He rejoices in grey and cloudy. I tell him it’s in his Scotch English DNA. But in looking up the weather data for this post, (yep, research junkie still at work) I found out why we see weather differently. Current Results Science and Weather Data reports on a study of more than 800 people and how weather impacted their happiness, anxiety, and anger. They ended up discovering that there are four basic types of people:
Fair Weather Fan (Summer Lovers) 23% of population — Warm, sunny weather brings out the best in you. Clear skies put you in good spirits. You feel happier, less fearful and less angry on days with more sunshine and higher temperatures. While sun and temperature affect you most, you also respond to rain. Ongoing rainstorms will dampen your spirits a little.
Cool Cloudy Collected (Summer Haters) 19% of population — Cool, cloudy weather is when you thrive. Once it turns warm and sunny, you get grouchy; you become more unhappy, fearful and angry. It’s not just a dull day that has you feeling upbeat. Even a little rain gives your mood a boost. You and Fair Weather Fans are complete opposites.
Dry Day Delighted (Rain Haters) 10% of population — Rain really bothers you. Wet weather disturbs you far more than it influences other weather personality types. Drizzly days have you feeling unhappy, anxious and most of all, angry. Besides being dry, warmth and sun also cheer you up and put you at ease, as for a Fair Weather Fan. But unlike Fair Fans, the main good mood driver for you is lack of rain.
Unfazed Whatever (Unaffected) 48% of population — You generally don’t let the weather trouble you. Rain or shine, hot or cold – you calmly sail through it all, compared with everyone else. Still, you might feel a little more anxious than normal on the cooler, cloudier days.
You guessed it. I am pretty much a fair weather fan (though I don’t love hot) and Doug is absolutely a cool, cloudy collected person. Pretty much exact opposites, who would have figured that? Maybe what works is that we balance each other out and cheer the other up when our different favorite weather occurs.
So, how about you? Are you unfazed by weather…or does it impact your mood? Love clouds? Need sun? Hate the rain? Or can you tolerate a day or two of “bad weather” whatever that is for you, but then too many in a row will start to erode your outlook and well-being?
For me, I’ve decided it is time to rewrite the children’s song:
“Rain, rain, you can stay, water plants, create some grey. Then, it’s time to go away and let the sun come back to play!”
joanneeddy's blog 
Lovely cloud photos, Joanne. I love all kinds of weather with the marked exception of high humidity which makes me grumpy. I like winters on the beach, rain in my garden, cool brisk mornings and sunny afternoons. Not so hard to please unless its humid. : )
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I’m with you….Love the sun, but not hot and humid! I end of feeling like a damp rag!
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It definitely has a negative emotional impact
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I just love weather – all kinds of weather. I love it when the air is electric signaling a storm’s brewing or when the rain falls on me softly or hits me hard in the face. I love watching the trees rocking in a hurricane and hearing the wind howling around me and I love the smell of fresh snow and the warm feel of sun on my skin. I just love weather!
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I do love stormy weather, thunder and lightening, and pouring rain. I just hate unrelenting gray!
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Did you know there are fifty shades of gray? Hmmmmmmm?
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I heard that somewhere…but those fifty had quite a lot of what I would consider abuse…so… Funny thing is my grandson’s name is Greyson, aka Grey…the one grey I love!
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I have absolutely no idea of what the book or movie actually was about – but the notoriety was enough to make me wonder a bit.
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Actually, only looked up the plot. It bothered me as it was about a young girl in a Sado-masochistic relationship. They get married in a later book. Not the greatest message for teen girls, so after all the years working with abused women I couldn’t bring myself to read it.
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Well, that makes me glad I didn’t pick up a copy. I agree, not a good message at all.
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I really love Southern California. The weather is almost always idyllic. I love the warm weather. I hate to wake up to cold temperatures. I go back to bed till it’s warmer when I have a choice. But sun glare is horrible when driving and I dread that on mornings when driving into the rising sun or driving home under a glaring sun. People die in car accidents caused by sun glare here. It is no wonder LA is called the City of the Angels because of the amazing amount of light. The light really attracts me. My first year here to my surprise people stopped working to go look outside when a heavy rain fall came. Rain was such a rarity it made news! My boyfriend had an old car for a year before he found out the windshield wipers didn’t work. It is green and springlike in the winter.I like to be able to roll down my windows in January and see flowers bloom all year long. I like Christmas shopping on a warm, balmy breeze sunny day in the 80’s with zero humidity. We have “June Gloom”, which means it’s foggy in the mornings and then burns off in the afternoons. Solves that early morning glare, so welcomed by me. Sometimes I get sick of too much sun. We almost never have thunderstorms. I miss that, and when we get a rare one, I love it. We have to stay out of the sun in the afternoons in the summer, or get burnt to a crisp, or suffer heat exhaustion. It’s sad to see what global warming is doing to water supplies and hillsides that are already brown by May. People here go nuts and kids misbehave more in school when the “Santa Anas” blow hot wind across the desert into the coastal areas. We love the offshore breezes cooling things off. I like the Santa Ana Wind in the winter occasionally stirring things up, I say we have four seasons, they’re just subtle. Our dad admitted after moving out here that dark gloomy weather depressed him. I was surprised he told me that, since he disclosed few feelings to us.He also lost all his arthritic pain caused by the dampness back east. It gave him a new lease on life. That’s the main reason I chose to live here. I feel better here than anywhere else.
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It’s unseasonably cold here today in the UK for May. It’s only 9 degrees. It doesn’t really bother me; I’ll just put on another layer if I go out. The only type of weather I don’t like is fog, because it makes my hair frizz up.
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…and mine go as limp as a wet dishrag! Being near the water we have lots of fog and mist, so this happens a lot!
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So, so interesting!! I would think I’m like you (a fair weather person), but I possibly could fall into the unfazed category! I do believe the weather can affect our mood, but I also believe variety is a good thing.
And can I tell you how taking photos of our outfits for the blog has changed my thinking about sunshine? I love the cloudy days better now, because it makes the photo sessions easier! (But not rain)
jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
senior salon!!
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The weather fiercely affects my moods. Too much indoor time, in both winter AND summer, puts me in a funk! 🙂
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I am an unfazed whatever. I enjoy the differences in the weather. But it does make me laugh that usually opposites marry and I never thought of it carrying over into weather.
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Me either!
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A fun post. I like sunny, cool-ish weather. I don’t like when it gets very hot or cold, but I love the sun!
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That’s true for me too – I spent most of my life in the North, in upstate New York, and my favorite days were sunny Fall days that started quite cool and warmed to around 70. Loved that!
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Me too!
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