Matsumoto *is* very nice. There's a castle and everything (in fact, I heard that the black "raven" of Matsumoto-jo has some some of contrasting relationship with the white "heron" of Himeji-jo). I wish I'd stayed in Nagoya more, because the circumstances of my life there were quite...difficult. Having said this, it's one of the most green urban centres I'd visited--and it's much more comfortable than Tokyo climate-wise. Now, are we talking about the same Gifu over here?! The way I remember it, it was kind of a dilapidated dump of a city. Mhumm...
SoCal, eh? Nah, I'll take the "cool and rainy" Vancouver weather any day over any of this. You should try Vancouver. You'll never leave!
As for 雷雪, all of the dictionaries I have give me two separate kanji ("thunder" and "snow"--so I'm guessing "thunderstorm"?) These kanji are really pretty. I like the symmetrical ones, or the ones with straightforward meanings: 詩 is my favourite. "Voice temple"--what can be more beautiful?