I live in the PNW, and backpack in California, Oregon, Washington and such, so I don't have the same weather as you do, but I find I use rain jackets less and less. I have a Montane UL pullover rain jacket, and i can't wear it unless it's really, really cold out if I don't want to start sweating shortly after putting it on (I run pretty warm). Instead, more and more I wear my Montbell wind jacket when it's raining if it's warm to cool (down to about 35 degrees if I'm moving steadily). I find with the wind jacket I stay slightly cool (which is my preference, I don't like to be 'warm' when hiking) but nowhere near cold, without the clammy feeling or too-warm feeling I get from my rain jacket. And unless it's a hard or long-lasting rain, I don't get as wet as I would from sweat with my rain jacket.

When I do wear a rain jacket, I generally opt for my full-zip jacket for the reasons others have already delineated. I only take the pullover occasionally, and that's only because I bought the darn thing so I figure I have to use it.