The detailed truth about the sun, the clouds, the gray and the rain in Eugene (Springfield: college, allergies)

[palmdalien]

Does Springfield get more sun than Eugene?
Or any cities close to Eugene.

Are there any cities near Eugene that have more partly or mostly cloudy days than straight up gray, overcast days 90% of the year?

Or, maybe I'm wrong about Eugene and the overcast burns off in a winter afternoon, and just drizzles a light shower throught the day.

Thanks.

[oldtrader]

Springfield adjoins Eugene just being across the river with the same weather pattern.

Oregon is very rainy and often overcast especially in the winter, everywhere in the state west of the mountains. The other 2/3rds of the state, is high desert conditions and there it is more snow than rain. Eugene is not the rainiest area of Oregon as it only gets a little over 4 feet of rain per year, and the record is about 5 1/2 feet in Eugene which is about the average for Astoria Oregon.

If you don't like rain and gloomy weather, then you will not be happy in Oregon. The old joke is, within 7 years your feet will grow webs like a duck and the weather will not bother you so much.

[st63]

I spent many years in Eugene...from childhood throught the end of college...and absolutely hated the weather. The only nice time of year is early fall...September and October are beautiful, but then the rain sets in and doesn't really let up until late spring. It doesn't really ever clear off...constant drizzle, constantly gray skies....very depressing. Spring ushers in a newfound irritant in the form of terribly high pollen counts...if you have seasonal allergies, brace yourself. Summer weather isn't bad, but there is usually an inversion of haze and smoke from the annual burning of rice fields further north. I'd avoid Eugene and the the Willamette Valley in general if you're a fan of sunshine and clean air....

[pdxMIKEpdx]

but there is usually an inversion of haze and smoke from the annual burning of rice fields further north.

They don't burn off the rye grass fields anymore.

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by st63

Summer weather isn't bad, but there is usually an inversion of haze and smoke from the annual burning of rice fields further north.

And rice doesn't grow in fields. It grows in paddies, which are a tad hard to burn due to all that water.

[zitsky]

Originally Posted by pdxMIKEpdx

They don't burn off the rye grass fields anymore.

When did they stop doing that? It was a problem when I lived in Eugene from 2006-2008. The smoke didn't get to Eugene, but it did affect other towns in the Willamette Valley.

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by zitsky

When did they stop doing that? It was a problem when I lived in Eugene from 2006-2008. The smoke didn't get to Eugene, but it did affect other towns in the Willamette Valley.

Oregon Legislature bans field burning | OregonLive.com

Reduced to 20,000 acres in 09, and 0 acres in 2010.

[stuckinseattle]

I've said this in other threads, but it's important to remember that there are two related problems: there's the greyness and gloominess, which you can't do anything about; then there's the damp and the subsequent mold and mildew, which in theory you can keep out of your living space, but in practice a lot of people don't. It's a health hazard, but it doesn't kill you, so people are not supermotivated to take steps against it.

[_TwentyTwenty_]

Originally Posted by stuckinseattle

I've said this in other threads, but it's important to remember that there are two related problems: there's the greyness and gloominess, which you can't do anything about; then there's the damp and the subsequent mold and mildew, which in theory you can keep out of your living space, but in practice a lot of people don't. It's a health hazard, but it doesn't kill you, so people are not supermotivated to take steps against it.

What steps can be taken to prevent mold and mildew? Use of dehumidifier?

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by _TwentyTwenty_

What steps can be taken to prevent mold and mildew? Use of dehumidifier?

Weather sealing on windows and holes in the roof.