Weather
Report Names Seattle Metro 'Gloomiest City' In America
A 'gloom index' based on cloud cover, daylight hours, and average precipitation ranks the Emerald City at the top.
SEATTLE, WA — A new report has crowned the Seattle metro area the "gloomiest city" in America, just in time for the dark days of winter that lie ahead. Best Places created a "gloom index," ranking 50 major U.S. cities based on cloud cover, daylight hours, and average days of precipitation from the beginning of November to the end of January.
The Seattle-Bellevue-Tacoma area received a Gloom Score of 90.9, barely edging out Seattle's perennial rival: Portland, Oregon. According to Best Places, some towns that could meet the gloom index criteria, like Juneau or Ketchikan, were not included, because they only analyzed the 50 largest metro areas in the U.S.
TOP 5 GLOOMIEST METRO AREAS IN AMERICA
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| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Gloom Score: 90.9 | Population 3,735,216 |
| Portland, Vancouver, Hillsboro, OR/WA | Gloom Score: 88.2 | Population 2,382,037 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY | Gloom Score: 88.03 | Population: 1,136,670 |
| Cleveland-Elyria, OH | Gloom Score: 83.72 | Population: 2,062,764 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | Gloom Score: 80.17 | Population: 2,348,143 |
According to the National Weather Service, November 19 (Tuesday) is statistically the wettest day of the year in Seattle. The Seattle Times reports the Pacific Northwest sees fewer than 8.5 hours of daylight by December.
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