Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A lot of you are interested in what the climate here is actually like. I've lived in Portland 3 years and the Willamette Valley for 13, and this is basically what you can expect. People pretty much act like Portland's climate is as mild and pleasant as San Diego when in fact it can be quite rough at times. It's basically a hybrid of an oceanic, Med and humid continental climate but learning more towards Oceanic.
Allergies are a huge issue too; I've felt at least a little bit sick the whole time I've lived in Oregon pretty much. The natives called the Willamette Valley the "Valley of Sickness".
Winter - November 15 - February 14
LOTS of cloud and rain, temperatures are almost always in between 20F and 60F, averaging around 35F at night and 45F during the day. Very mild considering Portland is as far north as Montreal but still trying because of the darkness and wetness. Nights are also very long due to the high latitude adding to the gloom and it's often quite windy. It's already getting dark by 4 PM.
Mostly in the 30s at night and 40s/low 50s during the day, but generally you will have one or two cold spells that last about a week or so where the nights regularly dip below freezing. About half of these cold spells involve snow and the other half clear skies. When it's not cold, it's usually overcast and/or raining though you may get 4 or 5 sunny or sunnyish days a month in November-December-January-February. As far as snowfall it can range from literally nothing to as much as a couple of feet a winter, but usually it's closer to nothing. I would say there are maybe 15 to 20 snowfalls that actually stick in Portland each decade though apparently prior to 1970 it snowed a lot more here. It will stick more often than that in higher elevation neighborhoods, however. Subzero temps happen maybe once in a generation.
Spring - February 15 - June 24
Similar to winter but with more sunny days and somewhat warmer. I'd say it's wet and cloudy maybe 60 percent of the time. Between March and June the rain gradually tapers out and by anywhere between June 25 and July 4 you get your last major storm system. Temperatures are generally in the 40s at night and 50s/low 60s during the day.
Summer - June 25 - September 20
Probably the most misunderstood season in Portland. Much hotter and more humid than people think. Nights tend to be in the 60s-70s and days in the 70s-80s. Generally dewpoints are in the mid 50s to low 60s but can get as high as 65F some days. It will hit 100F most years and you get about two weeks total of days that top out over 90F. Due to the long days it actually gets hotter and hotter the further in the day you get as well and there is very little breeze or wind during this season for relief so you often get stagnant air. While it rains often 9.5 months a year in Portland July, August and early September are dry as a bone. You might get about 5-10 rain days over this 75 day period and it can and has gone an entire month without any rain.
Do not be mislead by the deceptively cool average low of 58F. This low generally happens at dawn and only for a couple of hours; it can still be 80F or more after dusk after one of the hotter summer days and often still room temperature at 3 AM. If you don't have air conditioning, which is not unusual this low at dawn will be of little relief.
Fall - September 21 - November 14
IMO the best season in Portland, but very brief. Decent though not spectacular foliage, but the air smells delicious. I would say the temperatures and rainfall are similar to spring, but slightly wetter and colder. Early October still has the potential to get warm but it feels like winter by Halloween.
That is pretty spot on, and sounds perfect to me. Never really too extreme in either direction. And when one needs some sun in the winter, just book a flight to San Diego or Hawaii.
Thanks for this. We are moving to Portland in late August, and have been kind of kicking ourselves for not having figured out a way to get there a few weeks earlier to enjoy more of the summer. I'm happy to hear that Sept/October are still good weather months though - they are typically my favorite months in my current location (near NYC) and it would stink to give up those months after enduring this past winter (brutally cold and snowy) and current summer (sustained 90+ with high humidity).
I know I'm going to thrive in the PDX weather. I just hope the same holds true for my wife and our dog!
It's quite simple. Winter lasts forever, and it rains nearly every day. Temperatures are cold as heck, but usually no freezes, and it's depressingly gray. Biking in the ever present winter drizzle is not fun! Then there's three to four months of summer. Nice weather, usually. Then, it starts all over again. Without me I might add. Did a few years there, never again. Couldn't get used to the lack of sun or warmth. Left and ended up staying four years in New Mexico, and on our third year in Florida now. Works for us. It really was depressing in Portland. Physically depressing. You have no idea of the reality of it until you move there.
It's quite simple. Winter lasts forever, and it rains nearly every day. Temperatures are cold as heck, but usually no freezes, and it's depressingly gray. Biking in the ever present winter drizzle is not fun! Then there's three to four months of summer. Nice weather, usually. Then, it starts all over again. Without me I might add. Did a few years there, never again. Couldn't get used to the lack of sun or warmth. Left and ended up staying four years in New Mexico, and on our third year in Florida now. Works for us. It really was depressing in Portland. Physically depressing. You have no idea of the reality of it until you move there.
It all depends on the person, with the proper biking gear I always enjoyed biking in the drizzle. But it is something one doesn't know if they are going to like or not without really experiencing it first hand.
A lot of you are interested in what the climate here is actually like. I've lived in Portland 3 years and the Willamette Valley for 13, and this is basically what you can expect. People pretty much act like Portland's climate is as mild and pleasant as San Diego when in fact it can be quite rough at times. It's basically a hybrid of an oceanic, Med and humid continental climate but learning more towards Oceanic.
Allergies are a huge issue too; I've felt at least a little bit sick the whole time I've lived in Oregon pretty much. The natives called the Willamette Valley the "Valley of Sickness".
Winter - November 15 - February 14
LOTS of cloud and rain, temperatures are almost always in between 20F and 60F, averaging around 35F at night and 45F during the day. Very mild considering Portland is as far north as Montreal but still trying because of the darkness and wetness. Nights are also very long due to the high latitude adding to the gloom and it's often quite windy. It's already getting dark by 4 PM.
Mostly in the 30s at night and 40s/low 50s during the day, but generally you will have one or two cold spells that last about a week or so where the nights regularly dip below freezing. About half of these cold spells involve snow and the other half clear skies. When it's not cold, it's usually overcast and/or raining though you may get 4 or 5 sunny or sunnyish days a month in November-December-January-February. As far as snowfall it can range from literally nothing to as much as a couple of feet a winter, but usually it's closer to nothing. I would say there are maybe 15 to 20 snowfalls that actually stick in Portland each decade though apparently prior to 1970 it snowed a lot more here. It will stick more often than that in higher elevation neighborhoods, however. Subzero temps happen maybe once in a generation.
Spring - February 15 - June 24
Similar to winter but with more sunny days and somewhat warmer. I'd say it's wet and cloudy maybe 60 percent of the time. Between March and June the rain gradually tapers out and by anywhere between June 25 and July 4 you get your last major storm system. Temperatures are generally in the 40s at night and 50s/low 60s during the day.
Summer - June 25 - September 20
Probably the most misunderstood season in Portland. Much hotter and more humid than people think. Nights tend to be in the 60s-70s and days in the 70s-80s. Generally dewpoints are in the mid 50s to low 60s but can get as high as 65F some days. It will hit 100F most years and you get about two weeks total of days that top out over 90F. Due to the long days it actually gets hotter and hotter the further in the day you get as well and there is very little breeze or wind during this season for relief so you often get stagnant air. While it rains often 9.5 months a year in Portland July, August and early September are dry as a bone. You might get about 5-10 rain days over this 75 day period and it can and has gone an entire month without any rain.
Do not be mislead by the deceptively cool average low of 58F. This low generally happens at dawn and only for a couple of hours; it can still be 80F or more after dusk after one of the hotter summer days and often still room temperature at 3 AM. If you don't have air conditioning, which is not unusual this low at dawn will be of little relief.
Fall - September 21 - November 14
IMO the best season in Portland, but very brief. Decent though not spectacular foliage, but the air smells delicious. I would say the temperatures and rainfall are similar to spring, but slightly wetter and colder. Early October still has the potential to get warm but it feels like winter by Halloween.
Good summary, but I'd say that Spring can be a pretty big mix--we'll get a false start to summer a lot of years where we get pretty hot temps in May or June,(or even April) but then it goes back and forth to very rainy grey skies. There's also usually that brief warm week sometime in late January or early February that feels like early spring when the high pressure system sits off the coast for a brief period befere the rain returns.
I think my least favorite time of the year is when it's still rainy and grey in May and June and the days are longer...I don't mind the winter weather as much, because it's dark when I go to work and come home, so I hardly see daylight except on weekends--and it's sort of atmospheric and dark with the moody wet weather.. But sitting there at 8:30 pm with it still light out and grey skies in June can be a bummer waiting for summer. My favorite time of year is probably late summer through early fall--it's beautiful out in the Gorge and Mt. Hood especially in this time of year, and there will be nice dry days at the coast often too.
Temperatures are cold as heck, but usually no freezes, and it's depressingly gray.
It's not really that cold here... I probably only wear my heaviest jackets like 3 months of the year. I lived in places that were really cold, and this place isn't that cold.
A lot of you are interested in what the climate here is actually like. I've lived in Portland 3 years and the Willamette Valley for 13, and this is basically what you can expect. People pretty much act like Portland's climate is as mild and pleasant as San Diego when in fact it can be quite rough at times. It's basically a hybrid of an oceanic, Med and humid continental climate but learning more towards Oceanic.
Allergies are a huge issue too; I've felt at least a little bit sick the whole time I've lived in Oregon pretty much. The natives called the Willamette Valley the "Valley of Sickness".
Winter - November 15 - February 14
LOTS of cloud and rain, temperatures are almost always in between 20F and 60F, averaging around 35F at night and 45F during the day. Very mild considering Portland is as far north as Montreal but still trying because of the darkness and wetness. Nights are also very long due to the high latitude adding to the gloom and it's often quite windy. It's already getting dark by 4 PM.
Mostly in the 30s at night and 40s/low 50s during the day, but generally you will have one or two cold spells that last about a week or so where the nights regularly dip below freezing. About half of these cold spells involve snow and the other half clear skies. When it's not cold, it's usually overcast and/or raining though you may get 4 or 5 sunny or sunnyish days a month in November-December-January-February. As far as snowfall it can range from literally nothing to as much as a couple of feet a winter, but usually it's closer to nothing. I would say there are maybe 15 to 20 snowfalls that actually stick in Portland each decade though apparently prior to 1970 it snowed a lot more here. It will stick more often than that in higher elevation neighborhoods, however. Subzero temps happen maybe once in a generation.
Spring - February 15 - June 24
Similar to winter but with more sunny days and somewhat warmer. I'd say it's wet and cloudy maybe 60 percent of the time. Between March and June the rain gradually tapers out and by anywhere between June 25 and July 4 you get your last major storm system. Temperatures are generally in the 40s at night and 50s/low 60s during the day.
Summer - June 25 - September 20
Probably the most misunderstood season in Portland. Much hotter and more humid than people think. Nights tend to be in the 60s-70s and days in the 70s-80s. Generally dewpoints are in the mid 50s to low 60s but can get as high as 65F some days. It will hit 100F most years and you get about two weeks total of days that top out over 90F. Due to the long days it actually gets hotter and hotter the further in the day you get as well and there is very little breeze or wind during this season for relief so you often get stagnant air. While it rains often 9.5 months a year in Portland July, August and early September are dry as a bone. You might get about 5-10 rain days over this 75 day period and it can and has gone an entire month without any rain.
Do not be mislead by the deceptively cool average low of 58F. This low generally happens at dawn and only for a couple of hours; it can still be 80F or more after dusk after one of the hotter summer days and often still room temperature at 3 AM. If you don't have air conditioning, which is not unusual this low at dawn will be of little relief.
Fall - September 21 - November 14
IMO the best season in Portland, but very brief. Decent though not spectacular foliage, but the air smells delicious. I would say the temperatures and rainfall are similar to spring, but slightly wetter and colder. Early October still has the potential to get warm but it feels like winter by Halloween.
Also, do not be lead by the cool average high of ~80 either. These highs have been taken at the airport on the cold Columbia River since 1940, at least according to Wikipedia. The average is much closer to upper 80s, IMO, and there is nothing wrong with that because humidity is low.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
