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For me, that's much better, especially the shorter duration of the rain and clouds of winter...Medford sun hours are significantly more than Portland over a year. The warmer summer highs allow water sports as well.
Using the Western Regional Climate Center (which is reliable), Portland has about 144 days of sun/part sun per year, Medford is about 198. Bend, a place that everyone seems to assume is the sunniest in Oregon, is about 162. The house we had that was halfway between Crater Lake and Klamath Falls had about 220 days.
The Northwest is the great Rain Forest but many other parts of the world have far more rainfall. Guinness book of records shows the wettest place is Mawsynram, Meghalaya, India, with an average of 467 in of rain annually. In contrast, the average annual rainfall in Seattle is 37.5 in and in Vancouver, BC, 50 in.
Rainfall depends on how close you are to the mountains by way of oceanside. Follow the Rocky Mountains and you will see they get closer as you go from the south to the north. Rocky Mountains you can't see in Seattle becomes in full view in Vancouver making Vancouver a postcard spectacular view as you look at the seaside city skyline and mountains to the north. Unbelievable.
Visit in July and August for good weather but bring an umbrella/rain poncho for it could still rain. It is mostly drizzling, soft rain but be prepared. Always bring layered clothing and waterproof shoes just in case.
Also, be prepared if you drive from Oregon all the way to Vancouver, Canada on the I5, to see sunsets that are out of this world. The sky is always changing and sunrises and sunsets burst into color most days of the year, thank-you to the clouds moving about. Expect mild temperatures averaging 65 to 68 degrees most days of the year except maybe Jan/Feb and Jul/Aug and nights to be cooler. If you are by the ocean (less than 30miles) temperatures will not vary much from night to day by perhaps 10 degrees. But, if you go inland 100miles, for example, temperatures vary by 40 to 60 degrees from night to day. The ocean tempers the temperatures.
If you don't mind the cooler nights then Spring in May and Fall in Oct are also spectacular for there are definitely 4 seasons in the great Northwest Rain Forest.
If you want the warmest summers: Portland is the best.
If you want the most snow: Portland.
If you want the most mild winters: Vancouver.
If you want something in between: Seattle.
Think Portland has the most extreme climate (of the three, not that it's extreme at all) with Vancouver having the most mild, being like somewhere between 60-70 F all year. Portland is the only city that is in-land, and thus has the most varying climate.
First of all Vancouver is not 60-70 F all year... It is usually in the 40s F in the winter and 70s F in the summer. Portland also doesn't have the most snow: statistically it gets less snow on average than both Seattle and Vancouver BC
The Seattle CSA has substantial variation in rainfall due to the Olympic rain shadow. All three have differences due to elevation and proximity to water as well, like clouds getting stuck in front of mountains to the east. And of course Portland and Vancouver have some topography to the west as well, just not on the scale of the Olympics.
If you want the warmest summers: Portland is the best.
If you want the most snow: Portland.
If you want the most mild winters: Vancouver.
If you want something in between: Seattle.
Think Portland has the most extreme climate (of the three, not that it's extreme at all) with Vancouver having the most mild, being like somewhere between 60-70 F all year. Portland is the only city that is in-land, and thus has the most varying climate.
It is also along the gorge which is why it gets the ice storms during winter months
[quote=Deezus;23421295]-I go up a lot in the summer and it seems like they can get much more frequent rainfall in even July through September. Summertime in Vancouver can feel like late spring in Portland sometimes, with a sunny day here and there, but a constant chance of rain.
As someone who spends time on all 3 cities I could not disagree with this statement more. It does not feel like late spring in Vancouver vs Portland. Difference in temp is at most 3-4 degrees F different on any given day which is negligible at best, and something no one can really feel. A constant chance of rain in the summer for Vancouver.... What? All 3 cities barley get a drop of rain in the summer months and are affected by the same weather patterns. There are micro-climates throughout the entire PNW region and from one side of the city to another which affect weather. Portland is about an hour inland from the ocean, go an hour inland in Seattle or Vancouver and you will see the exact same weather.
The three are statistically similar with Vancouver, BC enjoying a slightly cooler summer and winter than the other two but not by much. Portland is the hottest due to its inland and more southern location. All three have a persistently sunny summer and a perpetually overcast rest of the year.
I probably would prefer Vancouver’s weather the most but it is too expensive and I am not Canadian.
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