Southern Oregon vs. Portland= Enough of a sun/rain difference to move? (Salem: fit in)

[MarleysMama]

My husband is in his 50s and grew up in Portland. He LOVES Oregon and doesn't want to leave. However, he has multiple sclerosis and as he gets older seems more and more affected by lack of sunshine here in Portland. We do have two children (one 11 and one 14 months) and really don't like the idea of a small town (unless it is progressive and not too redneckish--if I may use that term!). We love everything about Portland culturally and really the main reason we are considering a move is the climate here.

So....does Ashland/Medford area offer significantly more sun and less rain than Portland? Enough to warrant a move? Or is it still a problem down there...as far as people with dealing with depression and SAD? I'm so confused about this. Truthfully, my husband probably needs to live in a place more like California but I don't know how we would be able to afford rent down there on a 3-bedroom home...so we've kind of let that idea go. Although secretly I'd love to live in the San Luis Obispo area!

Thanks everyone!

[Silverfall]

Bend gets a lot more sun. You get snow though too.

[jm600]

It does rain less in Southern Oregon than in Portland. Recently I looked at moving to Salem and found it rains almost twice as many days per year in Northern Oregon than Southern Oregon. Check out this link: National Weather Service - NWS Portland.

My neighbor has MS and so does someone in my immediate family and they do well here, although it does get hotter here than Portland and the heat really seems to take their energy away if they have to do anything outside.

My family lives in Central Point which is a small town, but not a redneck area at all. My family is unique in that we are transracial so we pay particular attention to cultural diversity and tolerance and found this area to be great. My wife and I have lived in the Rogue Valley for 30 years. There are some specific areas that I would consider redneck, but if you stick with Medford, Ashland or Central Point you'll really like it I think.

Good luck!

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by MarleysMama

So....does Ashland/Medford area offer significantly more sun and less rain than Portland? Enough to warrant a move? Or is it still a problem down there...as far as people with dealing with depression and SAD?

You'll hear lots of references to "sunny southern Oregon." By Willamette Valley standards, it is a shade sunnier, but most of that extra sunshine comes in the summer when we have more than we need already. Spring gets started later, but warms up faster and late spring (mid-April to June) will be a little sunnier than what you're used to. The same for early fall. But the bad news is...winter will only be about a 20% improvement (that' not much). Medford and Ashland are in the rainshadow of the Siskiyou Mts. and so get much less rain than Portland. But that doesn't mean it's significantly less cloudy.

You really have to get out of the "roaring forties" to get an improvement in winter sunshine. Unfortunately, the 42nd parallel is Oregon's southern border. You don't have to go much further south...Redding or Chico...to get south of the storm track and pick up a huge benefit in winter sun (more than 140 hrs. in Dec. as opposed to 60-80 in Medford). But than means living in California...ew.

Originally Posted by MarleysMama

Although secretly I'd love to live in the San Luis Obispo area!

Wouldn't we all. I'm only about $4 million short of being able to swing SLO myself.

[Oregonbeachlover]

Originally Posted by Steve97415

You'll hear lots of references to "sunny southern Oregon." By Willamette Valley standards, it is a shade sunnier, but most of that extra sunshine comes in the summer when we have more than we need already. Spring gets started later, but warms up faster and late spring (mid-April to June) will be a little sunnier than what you're used to. The same for early fall. But the bad news is...winter will only be about a 20% improvement (that' not much). Medford and Ashland are in the rainshadow of the Siskiyou Mts. and so get much less rain than Portland. But that doesn't mean it's significantly less cloudy.

You really have to get out of the "roaring forties" to get an improvement in winter sunshine. Unfortunately, the 42nd parallel is Oregon's southern border. You don't have to go much further south...Redding or Chico...to get south of the storm track and pick up a huge benefit in winter sun (more than 140 hrs. in Dec. as opposed to 60-80 in Medford). But than means living in California...ew.








Wouldn't we all. I'm only about $4 million short of being able to swing SLO myself.

Looking at both sides, I have lived in Chico and the summer heat (sun) is absolutely unbearable too. You can't have it both ways...