Medford and wet feet ... help please (Portland, Grants Pass: job, homes, moving)

[AlleyTD]

I keep seeing conflicting comments on the clouds and rain of Medford. I hate to have my feet wet most of the year. Is it rainy and cloudy most of the year in Medford? I know that the summers are beautiful, but I'm worried about the amount of rain that must fall for it to be so green.

I'm in AZ now ... so keep that in mind. I am used to 7 inches of rain a YEAR and no snow. It never rains two days in a row here.

[mdvaden]

Okay, this year, it didn't rain in Medford for maybe 6 weeks in a row, until it poured for a couple of evenings (thunderstorms) about 2 weeks ago.

Basically, it will be mostly sunny and dry until Early October, with a few occassions of rain until then.

Figure, Medford only averages 19 inches of rain per year, about half of Portland.

That figure in itself should answer most speculations.

Too dry for me personally. I like Ruch / Applegate Valley's 27 inches with almost as much sunshine as Medford.

Actually, maybe more - Ruch gets more sun in the winter.

[orygun]

Oh the Applegate is beautiful. I agree though about Medford. Not someplace I would consider wet at all.

[Kathleenh54]

Medford, wet? Nah.

[zagyzebra]

Long about mid-January I'm running for sun cover in land of drier climate. I can't stand the winters here, and know many residents who feel the same. In fact, the people who live here and have it best, are those who winter in drier climates. And there are plenty of rainbirds who evacuate Medford during the winter.

[oregonready4change]

Cloudy in Medford, yes....foggy is more like it. But wet, not so much. We do get rain, yes...but it's not non-stop. I lived up North for awhile...they have this seemingly constant light rain/mist in the fall/winter. Drove me crazy!

[Thai]

Is it foggy in the winter in Grants Pass, like Medford, can anyone tell me? I know they are only 30 miles or so apart... We are considering moving there, but fog like here in CA's Central Valley makes breathing harder for some, so we want to avoid a winter-foggy climate. And, how are the economy and building trades job possibilities in GP right now? When we visited recently there seemed to be a lot of newer home neighborhoods, and people remodeling older homes to sell. We thought GP a charming town that has grown up nicely. Anyone care to comment on living in Grants Pass or moving there from California?

[rtg143]

Grants Pass usually has more fog than Medford. Summers aren't as hot but only by a few degrees. The building trades are still going along but not as much as 2 years ago. I like it here. As for ex-Californians, there are a lot of them here. That's what keeps us going.

[ladyrapture]

Thai, Okay heres the deal, grants pass is a nice little town. I lived there for 15 years about 3 miles north of town. That was just high enough to miss a lot of the fog. they have inversions in the winter in grants pass and in medford. lots of cloud cover and gray days. dreary is the word. I also lived tin medford for the last 22 years. It is true that there is only about 17 to 20 inches of rain here. Almost all the rain comes in the winter. I just can not stand the gloom. Grants pass is greener. this place is hot and dry as a bone in the summer and everything turns brown, brown, brown I hate that. fires are a real issue for this area. Summers almost always have smoke from fires somewhere near us. We are rated F for particle pollution in jackson county and rated D in josephine county but have no ozone problems like in arizona. I understand why you would think it is green if you have been living in arizona. i am leaving the area to go where it is warmer and has more sun, I am done with this area. good luck....

[Thai]

ladyrapture, I'l love to know where you're going? Have you found the perfect place? Just kidding, if a place were without drawbacks, it would be overpopulated!