Ellensburg will be your jam if you have horses. Windy from time to time. But dry, seasonal weather variation almost more "meadow-y"

Yakima is arid. Deep winters, hot summers. Also known as "The Palm Springs of Washington"

Either way - bring your checkbook.

The last part of this comment is the most important.

Well, it's a plains climate, so it's prone to the extreme tempature shift between summer and winter.

Happy to pay the price for comfort!

You realize you can look up weather data from the past like 100 years right?

you do realize that weather averages don’t always depict an accurate climate? i’m looking for discussion and opinions for my specific situation, but thanks for your input.

Yakima is a shit hole. Eberg is nice- both are fairly reasonable driving distances to bigger cities as well like Seattle Spokane

Yeah, they kinda do… hence why they’re averages.

Weather data isn’t going to tell me if the 21” of snow per year is going to stay on the ground the entire time and stack up. Or if horses would be absolutely miserable with the wind. Thanks for your helpful contribution to this post, it was a totally necessary comment.

You’re very welcome hun.

Maybe you should have added those specific questions…

Ellensburg usually has a few really hot weeks in the summer (low 100s in past years, but we have been above 110 at least once a year in recent years). In the winter, lows are typically in the teens or 20s and highs in 20s-40s, but we get at least some sub zero days. We can get up to a few weeks trapped in a fog bank (temperature inversions trap fog over the city, and we are actually colder than Snoqualmie Pass.) Wind is the biggest issue - if you can't stand wind, this is not the community for you. Yakima is lower and typically warmer but also a bit drier. Wind is not as big an issue there. Ellensburg is a big horse community.

Thanks! This is exactly what I was looking to know. I’m sure even at 110 it’s not nearly as bad as the 100 w/ 98% humidity that I’m getting now (or at least equal)

It's so windy in Ellensburg that the trees grow sideways.

Maybe you should ask yourself whether you could be more kind and, if not, refrain from chiming in.

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I grew up in Eburg so I can speak to that better than Yakima. Expect snow in the winter - not usually an overwhelming amount, but I have seen a building or two collapse to it over the years. Wildfires and especially their smoke can be a risk in the summer as well. Also, probably not a problem if you're living outside of town, but there are areas prone to flooding during the spring.

You are right about the heat. It is a very dry heat. Up to about 105, I am fine sitting outside in the shade. I will admit that the few 110+ days we have had in the last few years (never had those before) are pretty incredibly hot, but still nothing like 95 and 95% humidity that I used to get in DC in the summer. In the winter, I don't care about the cold, but I like that (except whe we are in a fog bank) it is generally sunny. I can take cold, but I need my sun.

Definitely agree. I really don’t mind the cold or wind at all, as long as it’s sunny. I can’t handle humidity in the summer anymore at all, and can’t really go outside after 10am these days. I did a road trip from Cincinnati to Seattle last summer and got my first taste of 100° dry heat, it was amazing.

Yakima is hot in the summer. Dry and hot

Winters are usually pretty mild but can get into the teens. Bring your snow shovel