I did it again; this is a reply to the OP's question about Pacific Northwest climate! "SAD" (seasonal affective disorder): It really depends on the individual. A lot of us here in the Northwest get it off and on. Getting outdoors helps and so do bright lights indoors. It is pretty gray around here in the winter and we do get a lot of rain--mostly drizzle rather than downpour, although the latter occasionally happens. The winter days are pretty short at this latitude. We do have occasional "sunbreaks" (get out while they're on, because they won't last long) and every now and then a cold front comes through bringing a couple of days of clear weather (usually accompanied by strong east winds, especially here in the Portland area). On the other hand, our climate west of the Cascades in WA and OR is basically maritime and quite temperate. Snow at sea level is rare--you have to go up into the mountains to find it. One of the reasons I moved here was for the mild winters--I'd rather get my snow fix where I don't have to shovel it! By late February-early March flowers are blooming, not just in the city but often at low elevations east of the Cascades as well.

We do, however, have glorious summers. There may be morning fog/low clouds, but it clears off by mid-morning or sooner. If the midafternoon temperature reaches the 80's, everyone starts complaining about the heat! Most years (not all--last summer, when it rained almost every weekend, was an exception), there is no rain between July 5 and Labor Day weekend. Before and after that, there is still more sun than rain. The balance starts to shift in March or April and by mid to late May it's generally in favor of sunshine. Generally the fall rains don't hit until late October.

From Seattle it's a relatively short drive to the east slope of the Cascades where things tend to be dryer. Sometimes the snow over there is fluffier, too!

Just a warning about winter sports--in case you haven't heard of "Cascade concrete," that's usually what we ski on! Lots of snow, but high water content and constantly varying freezing levels can make life interesting.

For more info on the outdoor scene in the Pacific Northwest, check out www.portlandhikers.org, www.nwhikers.net (Seattle), www.cascadeclimbers.com