When you factor in aerosol scattering in addition to the vector I believe the difference is more significant than that. Because radiation incident at a shallower angle will cross through more atmosphere vs coming in direct at 90°.

Opposite, I need sunlight in the summer months however it’s too sweltering when it is sunny during the dog days to really enjoy it. Nothing worse than walking outside at 930AM to a temp already at 87°F and heat index of 95°F. The instant the sun comes out temps soar, we rely on the afternoon towering cumulus clouds and sea breezes to cap highs ~ 90°F. In drought years where that fails (like 2024) we end up 95+ instead. BTW the sun is not *that* powerful in W-WA, I’ve been there multiple times in July recently and it’s much tamer vs here (and even more so FL/GA). While visiting in 2017 we were at an air show for several hours in the midday sun and realized I forgot sunscreen, thought I would burn (as usual) but was only slightly flushed afterwards. That would NOT be the case here, and if it were in GA I would have been out of commission for days (have made that mistake before, got burned so bad my skin started blistering).

Randy might still be in the game!

Looks like the ECMWF toys with some more lowland snow later next week... before we get an actual spring warm spell that includes the Seattle area northward.

Got it. You talk about the sun like its some foreign object that we are still trying to figure out. Everyone on the planet knows what the sun feels like. Its bright and hot. Been that way for billions of years!