In Search of Rain, Thunderstorms, and Greenery North of the Equator! Does Oregon Have What We Want? (Portland: home, employment)

[prncsnyc]

We are desperate to leave Los Angeles, though we are pretty much at a loss as to where to move to. So far from what I have gathered, OR is on our list along with WA, NH, ME, PA, and MA.

First off, employment is not an issue for us right now. My boyfriend has landed a very lucrative work-from-home position making $50K a year. He can work from anywhere that offers high speed internet. I also work from home. We have no children, but would like to. I am 33 and he is 35.

What we are looking for: The perfect weather! Seriously...weather is our one and only factor!

Rain, Thunderstorms, and green surroundings without living in the south. (Nothing against The South...just too hot and humid.) Seriously, we get giddy when it looks like rain and thunder are on the way so there can never be too much of it.

We just completed a tour of the Carolinas, WVA, VA, and FL. Although FL had amazing storms, neither of us could deal with the heat & humidity. I grew up in Buffalo and thought that was bad...Buffalo has nothing on Williamsburg, VA and Orlando, FL!

We would love snow in the winter. If we can't have it out our back window, we'll take an hour or two to drive to it. We don't ski, but we like to have it outside our window and to go sledding with.

Brown landscapes and high temperatures are not for us. I love anything in the 70's and below. I can deal with low 80's but really hate when things get high 80's and above. That is a major reason why we hate Los Angeles along with the ugliness of "LA".

We don't really get into the nightlife scene. We enjoy going to the movies and out to eat once in a while, but a metropolis is not a requirement. We are not "club/bar" people. We are total homebodies and just enjoy being at home with rain and thunderstorms going on outside our windows...We don't ski or surf but we like to see snow and water. We would love to go for walks or go on picnics and ride bikes if the scenery were nice enough and the temperatures were moderate enough. We are in the minority here in LA where people love to do outdoor activities in 90 degree weather.

From what I understand, this is a pretty tall order. Do any of the towns/cities in Oregon have anything close to this? Any help would be appreciated.

[Silverfall]

You know we don't get thunderstorms like the midwest does. Our thunder and lightening is quite meek compared to out there.

We do get rain storms, ice storms, and wind storms out here. Honestly, the coast sounds like it might be what you guys are looking for.

[mamh]

I agree with Silver Falls, I garden with a former Bandon resident and from he says from Coos Bay to Crescent City they get some storms the valley rarely if ever see's ..
Our thunderstorms here make front page news..
You might find some east of the cascades in Bend and that direction too.
Good luck

[backdrifter]

Originally Posted by prncsnyc

We are desperate to leave Los Angeles, though we are pretty much at a loss as to where to move to. So far from what I have gathered, OR is on our list along with WA, NH, ME, PA, and MA.

First off, employment is not an issue for us right now. My boyfriend has landed a very lucrative work-from-home position making $50K a year. He can work from anywhere that offers high speed internet. I also work from home. We have no children, but would like to. I am 33 and he is 35.

What we are looking for: The perfect weather! Seriously...weather is our one and only factor!

Rain, Thunderstorms, and green surroundings without living in the south. (Nothing against The South...just too hot and humid.) Seriously, we get giddy when it looks like rain and thunder are on the way so there can never be too much of it.

We just completed a tour of the Carolinas, WVA, VA, and FL. Although FL had amazing storms, neither of us could deal with the heat & humidity. I grew up in Buffalo and thought that was bad...Buffalo has nothing on Williamsburg, VA and Orlando, FL!

We would love snow in the winter. If we can't have it out our back window, we'll take an hour or two to drive to it. We don't ski, but we like to have it outside our window and to go sledding with.

Brown landscapes and high temperatures are not for us. I love anything in the 70's and below. I can deal with low 80's but really hate when things get high 80's and above. That is a major reason why we hate Los Angeles along with the ugliness of "LA".

We don't really get into the nightlife scene. We enjoy going to the movies and out to eat once in a while, but a metropolis is not a requirement. We are not "club/bar" people. We are total homebodies and just enjoy being at home with rain and thunderstorms going on outside our windows...We don't ski or surf but we like to see snow and water. We would love to go for walks or go on picnics and ride bikes if the scenery were nice enough and the temperatures were moderate enough. We are in the minority here in LA where people love to do outdoor activities in 90 degree weather.

From what I understand, this is a pretty tall order. Do any of the towns/cities in Oregon have anything close to this? Any help would be appreciated.

Oregon gets brown in the summer. It's dry and hot and sunny... in summer. Much like LA in the spring time. It regularly gets to the 80s in the northern part of the state all the way up into Washington during the summer. Here in Southern Oregon it's been in the 90s and even above 100 for weeks now.

It's basically like an extreme version of SoCal weather in Oregon. Summers are a bit cooler and much shorter, but winters are cold, much longer, gloomier, and rainier. Snow in the Pacific Northwest on the we(s)t side will be at least a couple hours away in the mountains. It almost never snows anywhere along the I-5 corridor or along the coast all the way up to Vancouver, BC. If you live in the mountains, you'll get a ton of snow, and if you live on the dry (east) side of the Cascades then you'll have much colder, longer (though somewhat sunnier) winters, and a moderate amount of snow.

Basically from May through part of November it's usually pretty sunny and dry. The rest of the year it's pretty grey and drizzly. There aren't any thunderstorms to speak of. There are generally no big thunderstorms with lightning and torrential downpours. There are, as Silverfall pointed out, many rain storms on the coast in the wet season (fall, winter, early spring) and also inland on the wet side (though not as many). In the Portland area/Gorge area there are also ice storms in the winter. And yes, sometimes wind storms on the coast too.

That's about it for storms. Not much thunder or lightning. The rain is not much heavier than what you're used to in LA, but there is MUCH MORE of it. Hence, the term "drizzle."

[Silverfall]

Originally Posted by backdrifter

Oregon gets brown in the summer.

This is true for parts of Oregon, but it is quite green in the mid-valley and the coast.

[Rob Allen]

You should try the Oregon coast. Stay at the Inn at Spanish Head in Lincoln City, or someplace in Astoria that has a good view of the ocean, and watch the storms come in over the Pacific. The people at Spanish Head are used to storm-watchers; talk to them about the best time to visit.

The temperatures and rain at the coast are exactly what you're looking for, but it doesn't snow. The snow is in the mountains inland, in the Coast Range and especially in the Cascades.

[Tesaje]

Since you emphasized thunderstorms so much along with some snow in winter, OR really doesn't fit the bill. Colorado Springs, CO is the secondary thunderstorm maximum in this country (FL is first) and it gets snow. But it can be brown in winter. At elevation, it usually stays coolish in summer with low dew points.

Minnesota/N. Dakota/Wisconsin have impressive thunderstorms and stay cooler in the summer - green too.

NH/VT/ME would also fit the bill - lots more snow up there with the lake effect. Seems like this area in New England meets more of your criteria than any other place.

[prncsnyc]

So I've read in other threads that it's a good idea to just take the 5 up through the state (and I guess into WA in order to see it as well). However, since we are getting the impression we would want to be on the coast, shouldn't we take the 101? Or is that too "coastal" of a route? Are there towns to live in along the litteral coast of OR, or should we be looking inland an hour or so? Any guidance is much appreciated!

[prncsnyc]

Originally Posted by Rob Allen

You should try the Oregon coast. Stay at the Inn at Spanish Head in Lincoln City, or someplace in Astoria that has a good view of the ocean, and watch the storms come in over the Pacific. The people at Spanish Head are used to storm-watchers; talk to them about the best time to visit.

The temperatures and rain at the coast are exactly what you're looking for, but it doesn't snow. The snow is in the mountains inland, in the Coast Range and especially in the Cascades.

Thanks! I didn't see your post until after I posted. Is it a far travel time to get to the mountains?

[Emery'sMommy]

Someone mentioned Colorado, I also think that'd be a great fit for you as well! In the summer, it storms almost every afternoon! The Denver/Boulder area is nice and it can get into the 90's there but it's a dry heat- completely different than humid heat in the South.
Housing in Co is definitely less than WA as well.

Some towns to check out in the mountains near Denver- Golden, Lyons, Idaho Springs.
Also, Ive heard great things about Crested Butte/Durango as well.

Just another option if you're looking to steer clear of humidity in the summer.

I live in Okc and I can highly recommend Tulsa as well- it's very green there, we have plenty of thunderstorms and tornados (they make things exciting round here lol). However, it gets HOT in the summer, a dry heat though much better than the deep South. It snows several times a year but no more than a few ". Cost of living is awesome here, there's lakes galore, mountains nearby in Missouri/Arkansas.

I'd totally chose WA or CO over Ok any day though! Haha but just giving you some more ideas based on your criteria.