Where is the REAL answer? Redmond Weather question...

[delta07]

Originally Posted by willystmpo

We claim to have 320 sunny days here in Redmond and claim to have more than bend for this reason. Redmond is lower than Bend, by about a 1000 feet. So when it's raining or snowing in Bend, it's mostly sunny in Redmond. Today it's sunny, and it's Decmeber 5th. I think what these number count is days that it's sunny more than half the day. It's cloudy in the mornings and most rains are at night, but in Redmond it's mostly sunny throughout the year. Just last weekend it poured all day in Bend but was sunny all day in Redmond. I would say the past year, 2012, there were atleast 300 days of sunshine in Redmond. I would say about 250 for Bend. They get more rain, clouds and snow. Redmond is a high desert. I lived in Phoenix almost my whole life and yes they get more like 350 days a year for sunshine. The main reason I chose Redmond is for the days of Sunshine and for the two years I have lived here, i would say it's pretty close to Phoenix so far. But, Im sure Redmond has had some bad winters and bad summers. This past summer it didn't rain for 3 months, not a cloud in the sky and the temps were in the 90's. Just how I like it. I think the number is a little high, but again I don't think it's based on blue skies, I think it's based on if the day is more sunnier than cloudy. Either way, I would say Redmond is more like Phoenix weather, besides the cold, than Bend's weather. Thanks.

I'm not sure where you're getting the elevation data from, but according to the Central Oregon Visitor's Guide, the difference is only 500 feet. Looking at each cities elevation profile, I calculated a little over 600 feet of difference. Regardless, I wouldn't say the weather between Bend and Redmond is that different. Yes, I do think Bend gets more rain and moisture than Redmond. Bend is closer to the mountains that Redmond. However, Bend is still the High Desert.

Claiming Redmond's weather is similar to Phoenix, besides the cold, is really inaccurate. Phoenix is not only warm but sunny throughout the winter. Bend and Redmond do have sunny days in the winter, much more than the Western side of the Cascades. However, we don't get the span of sunny days the Southwest gets-not by a long shot! Phoenix also gets the monsoons in summer, as PNW-type-gal pointed out. This is a stark contrast to any of Oregon's weather patterns, including weather here in Central Oregon. We do not get the monsoons, therefore our summers are mostly warm and dry.

So, while Central Oregon is sunny compared with say Eugene or Portland, we certainly are not sunny compared with Phoenix!

[Snownut]

Having read through too many of the "sunny" threads the "real truth" is this:

There are 365 sunny days every year with as many as half of those days also having clouds involved, after peaking through the clouds it comes down to whether you are the chamber of commerce, a city website trying to market tourism and business, a golf resort, a native of the region, a weather data purist, a transplant from Phoenix, Southern CA, Colorado, Ohio, Alaska, Florida etc.. after all of that is factored in, it is perception of what sunny means to the individual and what is "enough" sun, it is a sunny area for some and cloudy for others. Most people if they are honest know which camp they fall into.