The truth about the sun in Bend... (Portland, Phoenix: living, moving)
BendDeschutes County
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It's exactly 109 miles from my front door to the Bend McMenamins, lol.
Part of that is that we are 4 degrees of latitude north of Denver and hence have longer days in the summer - plus we don't have a summer monsoon. Once it stops raining (Late March/mid April) it pretty much doesn't rain again until the beginning of November.
I have relatives in Denver and Fort Collins and we've compared weather data before. Overall for the year, in number of days with sun, Denver is sunnier than we are.
Also my solar PV panels are on a tracker, so we get pretty much the max amount of solar-based power we can.
I think the statement I put in bold is key here! Overcast and gray during the winter and spring are much different than during the summer monsoons that Colorado experiences. And Klamath Falls, which I believe is where PNWgal lives (or close to it), gets quite a bit more winter sun than Bend, according to the city-data graphs.
Believe me whirnot, I didn't want to believe that Central Oregon wasn't as sunny as Colorado either. But, after living most of my life in Colorado, and then moving to Oregon, I can tell you, winter and especially spring here are quite different. The lack of winter sun is hard. It's enough that eventually we will be moving back to a sunnier location.
I thought you mentioned you were not going to use a tracker due to the rebate issue being greater for Less efficient but larger arrays?
The tracker is 6 manual adjustments (20 degrees above vertical to 75 degrees above vertical) and the cost difference was nowhere near what some of the gas/eletro-mechanical fully automated tracker systems cost. Since we went with the Oregon feed-in tariff program ($0.35 per generated kWh, whether we use the power ourselves or return it to the grid), we lost the state rebates anyway.
I think the statement I put in bold is key here! Overcast and gray during the winter and spring are much different than during the summer monsoons that Colorado experiences. And Klamath Falls, which I believe is where PNWgal lives (or close to it), gets quite a bit more winter sun than Bend, according to the city-data graphs.
Believe me whirnot, I didn't want to believe that Central Oregon wasn't as sunny as Colorado either. But, after living most of my life in Colorado, and then moving to Oregon, I can tell you, winter and especially spring here are quite different. The lack of winter sun is hard. It's enough that eventually we will be moving back to a sunnier location.
Oh I believe you, and was surprised at the Solar Data. We are still determined to move there but have the advantage of being retired and can take a "Sun Break" if the clouds get to us. I do appreciate the information and concerns that you have both given.
We have been there abut a 1/2 dozen times and the weatherman is trying to lure us in, it is usually beautiful every time we are there.
Oh I believe you, and was surprised at the Solar Data. We are still determined to move there but have the advantage of being retired and can take a "Sun Break" if the clouds get to us. I do appreciate the information and concerns that you have both given.
We have been there abut a 1/2 dozen times and the weatherman is trying to lure us in, it is usually beautiful every time we are there.
Yes, the sun break is key! I've decided that if we are going to live here, I need to take a warm, tropical vacation in the spring. One that lasts a few months. Since that probably won't happen, we need to relocate to a sunnier place.
That weatherman lured us in too! Or rather, we trusted our friends and relatives (who lived in the PNW) that told us Bend was sunny. We visited in March and the weather was phenomenal while we were here. We even had a day that hit almost 80 degrees.
Oh I believe you, and was surprised at the Solar Data. We are still determined to move there but have the advantage of being retired and can take a "Sun Break" if the clouds get to us. I do appreciate the information and concerns that you have both given.
We have been there abut a 1/2 dozen times and the weatherman is trying to lure us in, it is usually beautiful every time we are there.
That's because we have a good weather more often than not.
You will be perfectly content here, I'd imagine. You've been given great information in this discussion. Most important: Bend is NOT as sunny as Colorado and spring times can drag on and be cloudy. As long as you manage your weather expectations, you'll do fine.
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Honestly, I don't get the whole issue with weather, tbh*. Weather is a portion of the Quality of Life here (and many would argue it is a huge plus). I DARE you to find a similar town to Bend in size, culture, proximity to the mountains, etc. in the USA. Bend is actually very unique.
Take today, my day off, for example. I woke up leisurely at 5:50am , biked to morning yoga, biked home, made myself a hearty breakfast, took my dog to the dog park, THEN went up to ski the lifts at Mt. Bachelor and was there by 10:30am.
Now I'm home after eating from a locally sourced food cart (Real Food near Galveston - try it). After which, because its gloriously sunny (and has been for a while now) I can either sun bath, run with my dog or mountain bike. Oh...and these types of decision with the whole ski lifts and run/sunbath/mtn bike/river raft in the same day can be made through the end of this month. Annnnd, if you're really frisky and don't need a lift, you can choose to ski or not to ski till, most likely this year, mid-June all while having warm temps in town.
We all have different definitions of Quality of Life. Bend meets the criteria for many. Myself included. It is actually ridiculous at times.
*I think it has to do with the idea of being deceived or feeling like you've been lied to - this is very understandable. I think the issue is possibly deeper for many that are dissatisfied with the weather than the actual weather. The feeling of having 'the wool pulled over your eyes' is just nasty.
I wish the city, realtors, etc. wouldn't push the 300 days of sun mantra.
Last edited by kapetrich; 05-10-2012 at 03:20 PM..
We have actually come up different times of the year, trying to find the ugly time. The only time we didn't have sunshine was a blizzard, which we don't mind either. But Like I said the ability to take a sunshine break is probably the only way I can make it work.
And trust me we have looked at towns all over the counrty for the quality of life WE DESIRE (which of course is different for many) And I can't find anywhere that can compete with the outdoors, the proximity to the coast, the weather, and many of the things kapetrich named.
The only real dissapointing thing I have found is if you want to build a new, super efficient, Net Zero Energy Home in Oregon, and are not on Pacific power or PG&E It is impossibly expensive. In most states even Rea's have Solar rebates. Not the case with CEC or Midstate.
That's because we have a good weather more often than not.
Honestly, I don't get the whole issue with weather, tbh*. Weather is a portion of the Quality of Life here (and many would argue it is a huge plus). I DARE you to find a similar town to Bend in size, culture, proximity to the mountains, etc. in the USA. Bend is actually very unique.
Take today, my day off, for example. I woke up leisurely at 5:50am , biked to morning yoga, biked home, made myself a hearty breakfast, took my dog to the dog park, THEN went up to ski the lifts at Mt. Bachelor and was there by 10:30am.
Now I'm home after eating from a locally sourced food cart (Real Food near Galveston - try it). After which, because its gloriously sunny (and has been for a while now) I can either sun bath, run with my dog or mountain bike. Oh...and these types of decision with the whole ski lifts and run/sunbath/mtn bike/river raft in the same day can be made through the end of this month. Annnnd, if you're really frisky and don't need a lift, you can choose to ski or not to ski till, most likely this year, mid-June all while having warm temps in town.
We all have different definitions of Quality of Life. Bend meets the criteria for many. Myself included. It is actually ridiculous at times.
*I think it has to do with the idea of being deceived or feeling like you've been lied to - this is very understandable. I think the issue is possibly deeper for many that are dissatisfied with the weather than the actual weather. The feeling of having 'the wool pulled over your eyes' is just nasty.
I wish the city, realtors, etc. wouldn't push the 300 days of sun mantra.
Kapetrich, I think you don't understand the issue with the weather because you've never lived in a place that was known for sunshine. As someone who was born and raised in Colorado, spent time in S. California, and most recently the Western Slope of Colorado (even sunnier than the Front Range), sunshine is an important factor to my quality of life. It actually has nothing to do with feeling deceived. I do agree that the chamber folks need to get rid of the whole 300 days of sunshine claim, but it's not the core issue for me. The core issue is that I suffer from SAD, which truly inhibits my ability to function during the winter and spring months. When the winter is sunny, like it was this year, it's not so bad, but it's still there. I do get out and enjoy what Bend has to offer, but when it's cloudy and overcast, that can be very hard for me to do. I wish it wasn't, but it is. This spring, although better than the last few, was still very difficult. Now that the weather has improved drastically, it's amazing how much better I feel. I am able to function better and enjoy the things that make Bend great. Of course, this will last until next winter and spring when the clouds roll in again....
Quote:
Originally Posted by skypros
Bummer, shall I ask the winter/spring sun gods for more rays
Hopefully we are just in a strange weather pattern and Central Oregon will start having sunnier days in the winter/spring.
Finally, the sun gods have answered! I can say that I hope so too, skypros, but even if we are in some sort of strange pattern, I'm not sure that I will stay in Bend forever. That pull to be closer to family is also strong.
Kapetrich, I think you don't understand the issue with the weather because you've never lived in a place that was known for sunshine. As someone who was born and raised in Colorado, spent time in S. California, and most recently the Western Slope of Colorado (even sunnier than the Front Range), sunshine is an important factor to my quality of life. It actually has nothing to do with feeling deceived. I do agree that the chamber folks need to get rid of the whole 300 days of sunshine claim, but it's not the core issue for me. The core issue is that I suffer from SAD, which truly inhibits my ability to function during the winter and spring months. When the winter is sunny, like it was this year, it's not so bad, but it's still there. I do get out and enjoy what Bend has to offer, but when it's cloudy and overcast, that can be very hard for me to do. I wish it wasn't, but it is. This spring, although better than the last few, was still very difficult. Now that the weather has improved drastically, it's amazing how much better I feel. I am able to function better and enjoy the things that make Bend great. Of course, this will last until next winter and spring when the clouds roll in again....
That's totally fair. It's sorta like my friends who grew up in NYC. They will always compare every single place they live to NYC and in reality nothing can actually compare city wise. In a lot of ways, I feel bad for them. They grew up in the epicenter and that epicenter is the main point of comparison for them. It is hard for me to relate.
Hope it gets better, Delta. I've experienced SAD before (unknowingly) when I lived in England. It was HORRIBLE and I didn't even realize why I felt so down/off till the sun finally came out late June. For me, it was a very strange feeling. Nothing overwhelming, but just the feeling that I wasn't myself/a tad off....if that makes any sense. SAD is definitely a reality and I don't take it lightly so I hope you didn't feel that I was minimizing your experience.
Glad to hear the beautiful May weather we've been having is helping out. I'm thinking we won't see any clouds till October. Who knows, though.
That's totally fair. It's sorta like my friends who grew up in NYC. They will always compare every single place they live to NYC and in reality nothing can actually compare city wise. In a lot of ways, I feel bad for them. They grew up in the epicenter and that epicenter is the main point of comparison for them. It is hard for me to relate.
Hope it gets better, Delta. I've experienced SAD before (unknowingly) when I lived in England. It was HORRIBLE and I didn't even realize why I felt so down/off till the sun finally came out late June. For me, it was a very strange feeling. Nothing overwhelming, but just the feeling that I wasn't myself/a tad off....if that makes any sense. SAD is definitely a reality and I don't take it lightly so I hope you didn't feel that I was minimizing your experience.
Glad to hear the beautiful May weather we've been having is helping out. I'm thinking we won't see any clouds till October. Who knows, though.
Thanks! No, I didn't think you were minimizing my experience at all. Just wanted to clarify that the amount of sun we get is not what I need.
I love that Deschutes NF does a great job of keeping their trail reports up to date. The forests I used to work on weren't very good about that. I've been out to Phil's Trail and just mountain biked Maston yesterday. Both were in great shape. Of course, I'm also enjoying spring skiing, so it doesn't have to completely melt up there (although, realistically with the mountain officially closing at the end of the month, it's okay if it does).
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, biked to morning yoga, biked home, made myself a hearty breakfast, took my dog to the dog park, THEN went up to ski the lifts at Mt. Bachelor and was there by 10:30am.
