Brookings Or. Anyone know anything?

[MickJ]

One person's reality may not be another's; here's mine: I live atop the cliff just south of Brookings Harbor with an expansive view of the Pacific. In the winter the fury of the winds immerse my home in a sea of pure ionic energy. . . it's absolutely awesome! Then for the rest of the year, I carry a Santa Monica tan. I've traveled all over the country and have lived in my share of miserable places. Now I'm back in my sanctuary. Need I say more about Brookings?

[furyu]

Originally Posted by rvwen

...
Yes, as has been pointed out, Brookings can get warm in late summer and early autumn. This is created by the southfacing mountainside upon which the town is perched which provides good solar gain while blocking out the seasonal north winds.

Regrettably, this same southfacing mountainside makes Brookings-Harbor one of the most miserable places to be in the winter as each front slams it head-on with strong winds from the southwest.

In December '07 and again earlier this month, Oregon and the west coast experienced two major storms. The last one was called a "Monster" storm because of its size: the front extended from Alaska down to the southernmost part of California. What made both of these storms extraordinary were the high winds along with varying temperatures over a period of days, causing tremendous disturbances of upper level air and energy. Both these storms brought wind gusts clocked at 100 mph farther north and sustained winds of approximately 50-60 mph.

However, the Brooking area didn't experience the severe winds nor did it suffer the wind/rain damage that other communities along the coast sustained. Because all 'lows' circulate counterclock wise, winds generated from approaching storm fronts (moving westerly with the jet stream) will most often hit the coast from the south, which was the case with both of these major storms. Brookings was spared the intensity of the winds during both of these storms, based on its unique geological position. Brookings had only very minor damage whereas both Crescent City and Gold Beach, and of course areas farther north sustained quite a lot.

I've only lived in Brookings for four years, not 30, but in the time I've lived here I have never experienced any major problems with storms or winds. I live in the northern end of town, right on the coast. Last summer we put a weather vane on our roof; during the last storm the wind blew the vane around so violently that it is now 'leaning' ever so slightly. And in four years, the electricity has gone out exactly ONCE during a storm and that time, last year, was due to a problem up north with the Bonneville power supply.

Thus, I respectfully disagree with your assessment of winter, storms and Brookings.

Originally Posted by rvwen

Also, do not be misled by temperatures. For reasons I cannot discern 75 degrees on the coast feels like 85 degrees elsewhere; in a similar manner, cold weather feels colder.

This is known as 'wind chill' and all places experience this, not just the Oregonian coast. The likelihood of there being a wind or breeze along the coast is greater of course than inland.

Originally Posted by rvwen

And when comparing temperatures along the coast, do some research as to where the weather station is. For most towns, the information comes from the airport. The Brookings airport is unique for a coastal community as it is located about a mile inland while Gold Beach has theirs along the windy oceanfront beach and Crescent City is thought to be routinely cold and miserable because it's airport is located on Pt. St. George which juts out into the Pacific Ocean where it is routinely cold and miserable, which could explain why only a few hardy souls live near the airport!

Absolutely right! Brookings should definitely have a weather station situated along the coast or even 'in town' where the temperatures would better reflect the area. The different between the temperatures along the coast and a mile further east is often 10 or more degrees.

I agree with MickJ's assessment: this is one of the most naturally beautiful and comfortable places to live in the United States, and I feel qualified to say that because I've lived in many different areas of the country. Anyone moving to the Northwest must be open to living in a wetter climate. As far as that goes, I dare say Brookings has the best climate of any area in the Northwest.

[tracyf11]

I Live In Florence, Oregon. The Wind Is The Worst I Have Ever Experienced On
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