5 cities with the most depressing winters (and Seattle is not #1)

SEATTLE -- It’s been a heck of a winter. Cold temperatures, snow, rain and don’t forget the typical Pacific Northwest gray skies. The city is known for that, but surprisingly, a new study says Seattle does not have the most depressing winters.

The website smartasset.com put together a list of the top places with gray winters.


5. Missoula, Montana


Temperatures hover in the teens and twenties in Missoula but while dreary, they stay active. The city is actually one of the most fitness-friendly cities in the country.

4. Spokane, Washington


Most of you should be familiar with the city that sits a little farther north than us. In Spokane, the shortest day of the year is 23 seconds shorter than Seattle's and it's cloudy 70-percent of the time.

3. Portland, Oregon.


Our neighbor to the south has more sunshine than Seattle, by just a hair. Making it number 3 on the list.

2. Seattle, Washington


Is listed as the second most overcast city in the country, according to the study. And while we're known as the "rain city," Seattle actually gets less precipitation each year than New York, Washington DC, Houston and Atlanta.

In fact, we don't even crack the top ten cities for rain.

So which city is the grayest in the country?

1. Anchorage, Alaska


In late December and early January, people in Anchorage only see less than six hours of daylight.

Of course, all that darkness is good for one thing. On quite a few night, the skies over Alaska are filled with the lights of the Aurora Borealis.

The cities with the least depressing winters:

5. Kahului, Hawaii
4. Phoenix, Arizona
3. Key West, Florida
2. El Paso, Texas
1. Tucson, Arizona

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