Lee Poulsen mentioned the rain shadow area of Washington state's Olympic Peninsula. There is also a rain shadow area in eastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Mary Sue also mentioned the growing of Mediterranean plants in New Zealand. I'm not sure about the North Island, but there are significant rain shadow zones on the South Island, again on the east side. Rainfall on the entire Pacific coast of North America varies extremely within short distances. Average annual rainfall in Portland, Oregon is 32 inches; I live 25 miles southeast of there, at 1600 feet (about 530 m) in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, and average annual rainfall here is 45 inches. Jane McGary Northwestern Oregon