Winters in Spokane can be harsh. In addition to the snow and cold, the short days at this time of year leave many in a gloomy mood.
“If you’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest for any length of time, you definitely understand the concept of getting up when it gets dark and getting off work when it gets dark,” says MultiCare therapist Ahmad Bennett. ” he said. “It can make anyone depressed or depressed.”
Many people experience seasonal mood swings, and when these symptoms begin to interfere with daily life, they are classified as seasonal affective disorder. Symptoms include a persistent feeling of emptiness, hopelessness, irritability, and loss of interest in things you previously enjoyed.
This feeling is similar to that of a patient with depression.
Seasonal depression can be more common in Spokane due to the lack of natural light in the winter. According to Krista Carothers, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, the earliest sunset in Spokane is just before 4 p.m., and sunrise is at 7:30 a.m., meaning Spokane has less than eight hours of sunshine this time of year. Masu.
“Eight hours a day is not a long time. It’s one of the earliest sunsets in all of the United States. In the dead of winter, you’ll want to find a spot in Alaska that’s out of the sun.” said Carothers.
Not only is Spokane further north than most places in the United States, it is also one of the easternmost cities in the Pacific Time Zone.
Even if the sun is rising, it may not be visible in Spokane due to low clouds and fog. Carothers said there was only one day this December in which no fog or fog was reported from Spokane International Airport.
The depression started before December. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, only two out of 30 days in November were considered “fair”.
All of these factors create perfect conditions for seasonal depression, Bennett says.
“We get less light, and that can have a big impact on us. We may not be getting enough vitamin D, the energizing vitamin that supports our mental health.” he said.
How to treat seasonal depression
Bennett recommends treatment for people experiencing any type of depression, but people should first consult their doctor to determine if there are any “physiological medical issues” that may be causing their symptoms. need to be excluded.
Even if you don’t want to spend time with other people, feeling “connected” can reduce symptoms, Bennett said.
“You can have seasonal affective disorder anyway, but it’s easier to deal with and cope with it when you have a few people standing next to you,” he said.
Even though vitamin D deficiency contributes to seasonal depression, the National Institutes of Health suggests that vitamin supplements may not be very effective. A clinical trial at the Center for Medical Research found that vitamin D supplements had “no effect” on depression.
Bennett recommends finding the sun if possible and considering using a grow light to simulate the ultraviolet rays that provide vitamin D.
There were flashes of sunshine both days last weekend and again on Wednesday after strong winds cleared the skies. But Spokane’s long-range forecast calls for gray skies to return and rain to continue through the end of the year.
So, can we expect sunshine in January? A blanket of snow to brighten up a dark night and get skiers excited for the weekend?
Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Jeremy Wolfe says, like most weather, it’s a wait-and-see scenario.
Wolf said La Niña has been slow to develop this winter. Unless they can muster their strength soon, January could go by without any major weather drama. If it suddenly takes shape, be prepared for a cold and snowy weather change.
For those in need of sun, Wolf offered a tip: Mount Spokane.
On days when fog and low clouds cling to Spokane, you may not see the city’s backyard mountains, but ask any skier and they’ll rave about the days when bluebirds often appear above the valley funk. Probably.
“There are definitely times when the cloud layer is so low that places like Mt. Spokane are actually above the clouds. We’ll definitely have those opportunities,” Carothers said.
If you drive west from Spokane toward central Washington, you’re also more likely to encounter the sun, Carothers said.
“At this time of year, the area closest to the sun is in the Columbia River basin toward Moses Lake. We still have some foggy days, but we don’t get a lot of precipitation,” she said.
Sunday is the day after the winter solstice, so the days begin to get longer.
