Seattle has arguably the best year-round weather of any major
city in the US--how can you pass up the opportunity to move back
there?? 
Are you sure it was the cold and gas bills that caused the couple
to move back to CA, and not, say, the acute absence of anything
remotely interesting to see and do in IA?
(Okay, I'm exaggerating a little. I spent 3 years in IA before
moving to MN, and did find the pace of life there outside of
academia to be refreshingly relaxed.)
