You and your neighbor may not have the same job, family life, hobbies or political affiliation. But there’s one thing we all have in common, and that’s the weather.

Storms and sunshine are usually standby topics of conversation, where neighbors can praise the sun breaks and commiserate over the gloom. But this year’s weather keeps raising eyebrows.

The rainy, cold spring had every sign of becoming a rainy, cold summer. That could have been a big concern for a Valley where much of our business and infrastructure rely on tourism.

Memorial Day is typically the start to the tourism season, but rainy weather dampened that potentially big day.

According to Snoqualmieweather.com, temperatures in May and June were, on average, more than three degrees cooler than the past three years. We also received two inches more rain than normal in May and three inches more rain than typical in June.

Downtowns in the upper Valley are already challenged by major construction projects. A gloomy spring put a double damper on the local economy. We’re already two months behind on good weather.

Warm weather finally arrived last week. Let’s hope it stays — and that a chilly June-uary isn’t a permanent feature in a globally warming world.

The Snoqualmie Valley has been branded as the playground for urban cities like Seattle. But it doesn’t do us much good to keep Mount Si trails open to the public if rain keeps people off it. A top-notch branding campaign can’t get people out of their cars if it’s February in July.

The Valley has already celebrated its first summer festival at Fall City Days, and paradegoers flocked in shorts — and sweatshirts — under a gray sky. More festivals are around the corner — let’s hope I won’t have to wear my woolens to Railroad Days.