Is Bend REALLY that much sunnier than Portland? (Eugene, Medford: environment, work)

[ThanksABunch]

I know this may sound like a strange question because the weather sites show that Bend averages more sunny days than Portland. But...I live in Portland and whenever we have a crappy weather weekend, I'll check the weather in Bend and nearly every time, it shows clouds in Bend too. In other words, I rarely see clouds in Portland and sun in Bend on the same day. Perhaps my timing has just been really bad..or perhaps Bend has had more cloudy days than normal that past year or so.

It is really that much brighter there? So far, I haven't seen it unless the weather sites are all wrong or my timing is just really off. I often look to Bend as a possible escape from here to find some sun, but so far, it hasn't been an option.

(Keep in mind, I'm not talking about rain..but clouds. Often, it will be dry in Bend when it is raining in Portland..but the weather sites still will show clouds in Bend.)

Thanks, everyone!

[PNW-type-gal]

I'm not entirely sure how it's calculated, but if you take a look at the City-Data info pages for Bend and Portland, you can see the graphs for "% sunshine" and another graph for number of cloudy days.

http://www.city-data.com/city/Portland-Oregon.html
http://pics.city-data.com/city/Bend-Oregon.html

I believe the difference for the two is that the quality of the overcast is difference - Bend doesn't sock in like Portland does, and has far fewer clouds-at-the-ground days.

Also, if you go up on a weather site like wunderground.com, you can get access to historic data, by month, which includes precip, cloud, temp and humidity data, by day or month, going back to about 1960 or so (depending on the city).

[Waterlily]

I haven't spent a lot of winter days in Bend but city-days shows only slightly more sun in Bend.
If you want more sun I'd suggest going to southern Oregon or go east past the gorge area.

[PNW-type-gal]

Oddly enough, you really have to go south and east to increase the % of sun charts. Going west-to-east, you have to get way out to Ontario (Idaho, basically) before the winter sun percentage goes up most. Going north-to-south, you have to get out of the Willamette Valley, and down most of the way to Medford before much changes (popping over the Cascades at that point to Klamath Falls has a big effects then).

I wouldn't use these graphs as some sort of absolute rule for weather or sun, but they are a useful set of information, which you should supplement from other sources.

Astoria:
http://pics.city-data.com/w6/sun17890.png

Portland:
http://pics.city-data.com/w6/sun18094.png

Hood River:
http://pics.city-data.com/w6/sun18001.png

Pendleton:
http://pics.city-data.com/w6/sun18088.png

Ontario:
http://pics.city-data.com/w6/sun18083.png

Eugene:
http://pics.city-data.com/w6/sun17961.png

Bend:
http://pics.city-data.com/w6/sun17902.png

Medford:
http://pics.city-data.com/w6/sun18045.png

Klamath Falls:
http://pics.city-data.com/w6/sun18021.png

[ThanksABunch]

Thanks for responses. that helps! Looks like I need to venture out a bit further to make my escape!

[BJ_inOR]

I lived in southern OR for a few years in the Medford area. I loved the weather there. Lots of sunny, warm days, a little snow in the winter but it never lasted very long compared to Bend' snow. The Medford area does get a few weather inversions a year which sock in the valley, but those never seemed to last long either.

[Dingler]

I notice that many of the cloudy days in Portland is due to the marine layer that brings clouds in from the ocean. You know, the clouds in the morning, clearing in the late afternoon forecast- that is so common. Those clouds are not making it over the mountains in many cases. On the other hand, if the clouds are a result of a cold front, the storm will usually bring clouds to Bend and eastern Oregon, but just not as much rain.

[mike0421]

If past experience is an indicator, then no. I was in Portland this past Saturday, and there was the typical rain and drizzle. Then, driving from Mt Hood down through Madras, snow! Then, persistent drizzle once we descended into Bend-Sisters. There was cloud cover the entire time, plus some intermittent drizzle thrown in for good measure. The following day on the coast was mostly cloud cover till the very end of the day when I saw some blue sky. My cousin with whom I was with was marveling at how blue the patches of sky were. I told him it was nothing compared to New Mexico. I got on the plane Tuesday, and flew back home, never again to take for granted our weather. I couldn't live there, even though the neighborhoods are superior.

[Dory]

We have been here for two years. These are the things a realtor will not tell newcomers: It is a high desert enviroment with long freezing winters where the temps plummet to the teens by 4 pm- no fun for walking 4 months out of the year. The summer heat soars to the 90's- no fun for walking during the day. Honestly, the weather is over rated for enjoying the scrubby outdoors here unless you are some middle aged person who needs sunny weather so you can drive around in your convertable status car trying to look cool while you accumulate skin cancer. You have to drive at least an hour to get into lush and beautiful (wildflowers, trickeling streams, ferns, etc.) areas to hike unless you like lava and juniper, lava and more juniper. River use is limited because navigating it for most people reqiuires more skills than weekenders with families have time to aquire plus you burn up. At least in Portland, summers are magnificent and the outdoors beautiful with quick access to a huge and varied range of outdoor activites. Winters are rainy but I'll take that over finger numbing freezing weather all day long!

Bend is Bend. If you like the desertscape with trees, a ski mountain nearby, golfing and a highly caucasian cultural environment than it will work for you. There are mountains around to explore for hiking and there are rivers, etc. Just know that it is a scrubby enviroment with long, black ice winters, very high costs of living and very limited cultural activities.

[sunnymom]

Dory is so correct! I grew up in the Bend area and it is very, very cold there most of the time. The only time we visit is in the summer (to see family) and it is beautiful there then. If you want to move to Bend I'd suggest renting for a year, then decide as the winters are very loooooonnnnnnnnggggggggggggg. That is why I live in Southern California!