[ghaff]

It depends on what people value. Seattle (like Portland) does have gloomy winters--as does a lot of the northern tier of the US. But it doesn't get big snowfalls, bitter temperatures or--in the summer--long stretches of hot, humid weather or blisteringly hot and dry weather. The summer in Seattle tends to be about as pleasant as anywhere.

I can certainly see someone preferring Phoenix or Las Vegas, say, to Seattle in terms of weather but I wouldn't personally.

(I do agree that weather is perhaps one of the least relevant factors to this decision.)