visiting OR/Eugene (Portland, Bend, Junction City: environment, relocation, work)

[calfieri]

I work for a major hospital and coming to visit in late Sept w/husband to see if relocation might be for us. I see from picture that the Fall is very beautiful but does the area of Eugene get snow? I want to have all seasons, not just rain. Is there any parts of OR. that when visiting we should stay completely away from? How is traffic in that area?

[Larry Caldwell]

Eugene doesn't normally get snow, except when it does. I think it was December 1968 or January 1969 that Eugene had three feet of snow in one storm, which shut the town down for a week or so, until it melted off.

Generally, if you want snow you have to drive into the mountains. If you pick any hilltop property above 1000 feet around Eugene, you will get snow several times in the winter. Above 3000 feet it will snow a lot. Anyplace out the McKenzie Highway or Willamette Pass will be plenty white to suit you.

Traffic is moderate.

[MoonShadows]

So little to no snow in Eugene! That makes me happy. I'm so tired of the weather here in Buffalo, NY I mean 3 feet of snow, sheesh walking to the bus stop really sucks. But I do really enjoy rain, alot. Especially thunderstorms.

So what kind of natural disasters are in Oregon? I know we have storms alot out here in Buffalo, especially snow, anything there?

Also what is the traffic like? Any bus routes available in Eugene? We have abit of bus routes down here in the downtown area and some outward and I don't drive but will soon. traffic here is crazy but we Buffalonians are great at driving through rough weather conidtions, especially snow.

[pw72]

Snow is not common in Eugene, but as someone mentioned above, when it does, it DOES! There was also a pretty decent dumping (I remember around 10 inches) on New Year's Day in 2004. It melted within a couple of days. Most winters will get an inch here, an inch there, and that is about it. However, Eugene does have clear, cold snaps almost every winter where it might drop to 10-15 above for a few days, usually with clear weather.

[Larry Caldwell]

Eugene has an excellent bus system.

[pgaut]

I suggest that you stay in Junction City (Kalmia Cottage) while you are here. It is 12 miles north of Eugene and very centrally located....an hour to the mountains and an hour to the coast. The valley( from Portland south to Eugene) is also beautiful and has the best year-round weather.

[Cameron12]

Western Oregon(Eugene Location) in general has about 8 months of rain(October-May) And 4 months of 80-100+ degree sun(June-September) Specifically Eugene doesn't get a lot of snow at all. Although, if you're looking for snow close outside of Eugene, that won't be a problem at all.

Eugene is the location of the Lane Transit District, or LTD as it's locally called. Eugene is very walk, biking, and bus friendly. The local bus system is a great one. It's always ever expanding, and currently creating EmX green line buses & routes. Environment friendly buses, that are free! The other buses however are $1.25 for a full day for 18 years and younger. $2.50 for adults. These passes are good for the entire day. You can also purchase monthly, and yearly passes as well.

[jeannie55]

I'm out in this area looking for a "sunshiny" place to retire. Time spent in WA - Vancouver/Portland, OR up to Seattle is way too rainy and cloudy for me. What's it like here?? I'm thinking I need more sunshine than WA offers. Thanks for any info. Jeannie

[haggardhouseelf]

Eugene is in the Willamette Valley at an elevation of around 300 feet, so like other have said we do sometimes have snow just not very much and it rarely lasts long. People drive out to Sisters or simply up to higher elevation when they want to play in the snow! One guy we know drove out to the snow and brought it back to cover his yard in it so that his son could build a snowman. That's a good dad!

LTD - Eugene's bus system - is great. Right now you can get anywhere you want to go via bus, walking, or riding your bike or a combination of those means. I read in the paper that they are really struggling because of the rising gas prices and might have to do away with a few of their routes. They were also operating a few of their buses with biodiesel but have decided that they cannot afford to do that any longer as well. It's so strange - they have the highest number of people in their history using public transportation and yet due to gas prices they are having to reduce services.

jeannie55 We have lived in WA state as well as OR state (as well as TX and CA) ... Eugene Summers you will absolutely love, but the winters/fall/spring are very overcast and "misty". There will be bouts of sun and blue skies here and there, but for about 9 months out of the year you would need to prepare for and expect grey and rain and wet and mud. In Eugene - which is in the Willamette Valley - it's no where near as bad as what we experienced in WA state, but there are still long stretched of the wet and grey and chilly. The Summers, though, more than make up for the rainy seasons in our opinion, though. Gorgeous, gorgeous Summers...

Lots of people looking for "sunny" are choosing to retire in Bend or Sisters, OR... on the eastern side of the Cascades you'll find yourself in the high desert - hotter, drier, sunnier... but also very snowy, cold winters. The western side of the Cascades is more wet, green, muddy, and mossy!