Magazine declares Seattle has 'wussiest' winter in America
First it was Los Angeles taking pot shots at Seattleites' winter mettle in a scathing commentary last year during our record ice storm.
Now, it's The Atlantic Cities magazine taking its turn to hurl a few barbs at our -- I guess legendary? -- snow freakout-ness.
Seattle was crowned with America's "wussiest" winter as one of eight cities they declared as having the crummiest winters in the United States.
(I suppose it could have been worse, we probably narrowly lost out on being named "Most Depressing" winter (Fairbanks) or "Gridlockiest" Winter (Washington D.C.) or "Lamest" winter (San Francisco, with its never-snow.) )
But how did we get to being called the "Wussiest"? Their main beef is not how we handle the incessant rain (c'mon, we're veterans there) but how we handle the snow.
"If Mother Nature puts one inch of snow on the ground, businesses close, bus service is delayed or cancelled and schools lock their doors," the magazine quipped.
Oh yeah? Did you bother to look up that it snowed on December 18th in Seattle? Did you all still get your Starbucks? Did you Amazon packages still get shipped? Did Microsoft still release Windows 8? Seattle schools *didn't even delay an hour*.
We proved we can handle the 0.6" of snow that fell at the airport and sorta missed downtown just fine, thank you very much.
And it's not like we run to the window with video cameras when flurries begin or have to chain up our buses in an inch an a half of snow. We can drive on a little snow just fine, even on I-5 near Downtown Seattle. Contrary to what you might have heard, Seattle does not have a 'snow panic' manual.
As for those videos you might have seen of Seattle having "some" difficulty in the snow when you ice up our infamous "cliffs" of hills that makes San Francisco look like a table top?
Pure fiction.
So the magazine really needs to get their fact straight before publishing such inflammatory statements. Everyone knows it takes 2 inches of Seattle snow before the city panics. Unless it's a Friday, then we're outta here.
Do you agree Seattle has the wussiest winter in the nation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below:
That's it Atlanta, try shifting the focus away from your gang problems, huge unemployment and lack of anything even close to a effective traffic system.Â
I agree completely. The weather here is pretty boring for the most part. Move to some other areas and you'll see we're spoiled. You can definately witness the spoiled behavior when it snows. Talk about wussies!
Change the name of that magazine to Moron's monthly !
They're acting like winter is over already. We have had snow the first week of april before. I remember one year back in the early 80's we got 8 inches of snow the first week of march as well. Never say never!
Jealous anyone? what a stupid story. Like we might be in some kind of control as to what kind of weather we get.
i would say places like San Diego lots of citys in the south have way milder winters than us .Try standing out in 38 degree temperatures with rain and a 40 mph wind then you can call us wussies because we get alot of those days here
I have no problem with that label. Where else do you get snow days with your kids?
I am from the "snowiest" city, Syracuse, and moved to Seattle nearly three years ago. Syracuse has hills too, though not as steep as Seattle's. My native city has to invest a lot of money into snow-removal equipment and such that Seattle doesn't, and as a result is always open, no matter the weather. So you get used to it in a way that no one in the Seattle city limits needs too.
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Yeah, the days off here struck me as silly. Yeah, how poorly most folks drive in the snow seemed too bad, but I understand that if you did not learn to drive in it, you do not really have a reason to know. You know what? It's OK being the wussiest city with winter. I like the days off, the reason to pause, and the calm when it snows, on all three days that it does.
The problem is, we don't get enough snow to warrant the purchase of expensive equipment like they have in NY. Maybe 2 days a year if we're lucky, 5 days or so in a bad year.  It's just not worth it.
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We'll take the snow days!Â
I have been through some pretty harsh winters in Minnesota and North Dakota in my time, and i have to say nothing makes me laugh more than seattle in the winter time. Yes there are a good deal of people running around in shorts, tee shirts, parkas and flip-flops. What really does it for me is the people that park their car in the middle of the interstate and walk home, the news coverage and the lack of shutting down certian streets BEFORE the cars and busses decide to try decending said street sideways. Yeah our winters are pretty dismal with it being grey and rainy for 10 months out of the year, and we are pretty hearty with our cold hurricane like winter storms that blow in  with their 100 MPH winds and downpours, but drop a half an inch of snow and comedy insues. We dont have the wussiest winters in the US. People seem to forget the wusses in LA or Honnalulu with their no winter winters, talk about wuss
The panic has nothing to do with the weather and the minimal snow...Its the ability for vehicles to drive up and down hills on ice......All these mid-west and Eastern Cities have the terrible horror of driving on flat ground in sub zero temps... Think about it, our snow sticks then melts and the ground freezes...These other states are so cold the snow sticks and blows away, there is no moisture to turn to ice and no hills to navigate.....
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Hmmmm, we have steep hills everywhere, only get snow occasionallly, and have little snow removal resources. It must be nice to live in flat cities with enough snow removal equipment to properly dispose of a foot and a half of the white stuff in a matter of hours. Here in the greater puget sound region, we have something you paved over long ago, nature.
The word is "city" not "winter"
My family moved here, from Kansas, in 1967, and laughed at the people walking around in hot pants and winter coats, and the ever-present umbrella. Now I understand. We adapt. I'm proud to be part of that 'we', now (though minus the hot pants, thank God.)
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If being 'wussie' means being cautious - that makes us more intelligent than imported drivers who try to show off by displaying their ability to 'drift' on public streets in their tricked-out SUVs, failing, and causing most of the accidents. If we can, we stay home. We aren't cowards. We are just leaving the ring, so the clowns can have their turn.
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If the title Seattle has attained as having the "Wussiest Winter", as indicated in the subject line of this article, then it is our Winter that is 'wussie', not our people, and I'm OK with that. Just sayin'...
 @momtodogs LOL! So true. I'll take our mild weather here over almost anyplace. When I need a sun fix, I go someplace tropical. :)
Whoops! Wy are we defending our city and ourselves? We really don't want to advertise the, mostly, good things we've got here. We don't need any more imported drivers. Let them think what they like, and STAY AWAY!!
Why, not Wy.  Sorry ..... I just cut my nails, and can't do a thing with them. LOL!
 @momtodogs BINGO!!!! :D :DÂ
We have hills, which changes greatly changes the dynamic for driving on snow. Â And no, we don't have lots of snow removal equipment, which for the vast majority of the time, would be a big waste of money
After being in Alaska several times in the winter, it's obvious to me how sticky snow gets when it's colder. Our snow is always so borderline, ice/slushy. The closer the temp is to 32, the more slick the snow becomes. Even native Alaskans comment on how slick it gets in October and April when the first slushy snows fall, and when it begins to melt off.
@Tyler Mode Isn't there like 200 Inuit words for snow?
I'm cool with having the wussiest
Let's see some of those East Coasters try Queen Anne hill in the snow!
 @mcmfree First we need snow.
Snow is no problem but we get ICE!
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Almost every time we have a snow storm it's preceded by freezing rain, a major windstorm or a nice layer of ice, then snow. Â
Anybody would have a problem driving on that, in addition, trees like to fall during heavy snow or ice so that is another factor Atlantic Cities conveniently ignored. Â
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 @Smokin Bear I agree. Our trees are at a higher risk because they don't see regular heavy winter snowfall year after year after year. They build up what would be brought down every year had we received annual snow like they see in the upper east coast.
"...how did we get to being called the "Wussiest"?" Just take a look at the other names then just consider the source.
This article is totally inaccurate and unfair. Seattle ranks "wussiest" in many categories, not just their winters.
Here, here! I move from the Seattle area 3 years ago, after living there my whole life to the midwest and I am proud to tell everyone here that I am a Washington Wussie!! We complain if it is too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry. People here think I'm nuts because I beg for rain!!! The first year we were here was the hottest summer (well over 100 for weeks) in 50 years, and the coldest winter (over 20 inches of snow) admittedly easier to drive since it is completely flat here! I told everyone that they could expect me to complain, especially about the heat because I am a Washington Weather Whimp! Western Washington weather is okay with me, and now that I am here in the midwest, I learned to appreciate it all the more! We hardly ever get any rain here, and my webbed feet are splitting apart!!! I miss being a Washington Wussie!!!!
@tshirt Are you a female? Or just a REALLY excited man?
@DaveP----Don't ask, don't tell??? What the heck, you found me out. I am just a "wussie" female from the "wussie" Seattle area that misses it really bad. :)
I have lived in the Puget Sound region all my life. Â In the north end you generally get larger amounts of snow compared to the City of Seattle. Â What makes Seattle so difficult when it snows is the minimal accumulations. Â Less snow=more ice. Â That is the problem. Â Then you factor in the hills, overpasses, and traffic congestion. Â This makes it very difficult. Â The result is running out of gas, car ditching, eight hour commutes, Â and everything else. Â The other huge factor is the Snow is generally wet and not dry. Â It sticks and doesn't blow. Â Then melts and refreezes.
 @rational red Don't scare the folks at the magazine with facts & details. Whoever wrote that article probably visited our State at some point & got p-hurt when he/she realized their State sucks & ours doesn't. That article has "waaaaaaaa" written all over it.
Excuse my language it's just stupid how some people are.
if i were atlantic city i d be more concerned with their casinos being robbed than SEATTLE snow more to worry about in there own back yard than all the way across the nation !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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And that's a bad thing?
ha ha we have "wussiest" winter. They have destruction, overturned cars and sandy.
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I'll take my chances here in seattle
I blame KiroTV7 for not letting me come and play. They put some voodoo curse on me!
So my question would be why do we care what they think? If they are that hard pressed to find something to put in print so be it.
I think they forgot the part where Seattle drivers are not from Seattle. Â I honestly believe the natives (people born and raised in Seattle) are far out-numbered by those who have moved here, but were born and raised in other parts of the country and world.
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And I care what this magazine says because why?
I get a kick out of the headlines that the news stations will use:
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NOVEMBER WIND!!!
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DECEMBER STORM!!!
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JANUARY SNOW!!!
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Like this is the ONLY storm that's going to happen this month. But the nice part is that they're usually right
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After living in many other cities that truly know the meaning of the word STORM, I've had enough "exciting" weather to last a lifetime, thanks. It's nice to live in a city where the weather is, well, boring!
Gosh... I'm hurt. Can we all have a group hug?
I was up in Edmonton, Alberta a few years ago in December when it was 20 below and several feet of snow. Went to work with my buddy I was visiting and there were no accidents and everyone got to work on time in that city.
Many American cities such as Chicago has snow like that, no one misses work.
That is why Seattle/Tacoma is such a laughing stock in this country when it snows.
@Jack60 Im from arizona and moved to washington 8 years ago. Im use to the extreme heat. But most eastern state are just the same a washington. I visit places like PA, Ohio and they cant drive in the snow there either. Talk about differences in snow also! places like east coast and midwest get that dry snow and id have to say people there cannot drive in it. Here in seattle we get wet snow witch melt and refreezes talk about icy roads as if it was freezeing rain. I laugh at how people think about are state cause we are one in extreme weather. People who live on east coast or midwest flat lands where do you see falling trees or mudslides?And if you really think it, east coast may get hurricans but so do we, they might now be called that here but we get really bad winds storms that was once a hurricane in the western pacific. So next time people wanna talk about our state they needs to get there facts straight before saying something they know nothing about.
 @Jack60 And how many hills were you going up and down in the snow in Edmonton or Chicago.  I mean Queen Anne style hills...... I bet not to many.Â
@Jack60 I bet they also had sanders and plows.
@justme I love how people think this. I grew up in a city in Montana with 40,000 people (Great Falls). It is a moderately sized cities with plows and sand trucks. You have to understand they NEVER sand and plow all the streets....only the main streets. My parents live on a humble neighborhood street (on a bus route no less) and they have not seen a plow down their street in the 30 years they have lived there. They just don't have the resources to plow every street and they don't. It gets packed down to ice and you drive with knowledge and good tires. People here have neither.
@Jack60
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Jack, while you were up there, I hope you didn't ask what the electical outlets in the parking lots were for. To a Canuck, asking that question is a dead give-away that you're a Yankee.
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(The purpose of the outlets is so that you can plug the block heater for your engine into them, especially overnight, so that the engine doesn't freeze.)
How seattle-ites drive a vehicle when it rains? Despite the incessant rain - Definitely not veterans in that category.Â
@whodat We drive in the rain, like it was snow.