Strange Maps: Just How Far North is Seattle?
August 13, 2007
Take a moment and imagine the Canadian cities of Quebec City, Montreal, and Toronto. Does your mind conjure up images of snow, heavy winter coats, car tires spinning in heavy snow, and in general being so far north that you’re within spitting image of the Arctic Circle?
Now think of Seattle. Lots of rain, no ice, very little snow (except on gorgeous Mt. Rainer), heavy on the coffee intake, lots of bridges and very few snow tires …
Would it surprise you if I told you Seattle is located more north than Toronto, Montreal, and even Quebec City? See the red line on the map below showing where Seattle is in relation to the three Canadian cities (click on the map to enlarge):
In fact, Toronto is so far south that it’s nearly on par with Detroit and Chicago. (And in fact, if you head south from Detroit, you’ll end up in Canada!)
Oh, you knew all these? Ok, grump grump, I’m not talking to YOU, I’m talking to the person behind you …
August 13, 2007 at 2:27 pm
It is not as chilly in Seattle precisely because of the currents from the Pacific Ocean. I am not a geographer or climatologist but that is what I remember from Physical Geography 101. Toronto, on the other hand, is located way inland on a large continent - which means BRRRRRRRRRR!!!!
Even Vancouver, British Columbia, is not at all as cold and snowy as Toronto. :)
Despite all that, the excessive moisture from all that rain makes the Pacific North West somehow numbing and miserable during the winter, or so I hear.
August 13, 2007 at 4:35 pm
We had this latitude discussion a few years back, you were working in ME (I think) at the time?
The UK is much further north than e.g. Seattle, but kept warmer because its surrounded by sea (loses heat slower), and also we’ve got the jet stream.
Jet stream can also be a nuisance, i.e. reposition and it never stops raining. cf. this summer.