Bend vs. Boise Weather (Portland, Corvallis: house, camp, living in)

[sunsueb]

I'm curious what the difference in weather is between Boise and Bend. Per the stats, Boise gets colder in the winter and hotter in the summer. What about wind? Looks like Boise might get a little more sunshine, but does Bend get enough sunshine in the winter to not feel sun-deprived?

I live in the Willamette Valley and am finally tired of all the rain and grey skies. I know both Boise and Bend get colder than the valley, but is dry-cold better than damp/wet cold? I wonder if the drier air compensates somewhat for the colder temps. If you dress warm enough, is it comfortable to walk outside?

I enjoy biking/walking/hiking. I'm not into snow sports and I don't really like hot weather so I don't know if either Boise or Bend is a good choice. Parts of CA would be better weather-wise, but I'm not too enthused about moving there.

I'm fine with the temps here in the valley, just tired of all the rain. Anyone know of a location other than CA that gets moderate temps without all the rain?

[Fiddlehead]

I think both places would be considerably colder, but also sunnier. I moved from Corvallis to Ashland, and I enjoy the change. We get some cold starry periods amidst the rain, which just brings the Oregon winter into my level of tolerance. Depending upon your sensitivity to gloom, both Bend or Boise should be considerably better. Sure, they are not New Mexico, and there will be some cloudy days, but there will also be more frequent sun breaks, especially in Boise. I do hear people complain about the heat of Boise summers; no so much for Bend. Bend is unique in cool night time temps, so that it is much frostier at night in the spring and fall, so a short growing season. Boise gets good and hot with 90s in the day and high 50s-60s at night. Mountains nearby to hike in in th hot season both places. Scenery in Bend is a tad more majestic, but the Idaho backcountry is the finest in the lower 48. Oh, both are good places to play in the snow too, which really helps with battling the gloom. If you don't like skiing, snowshoeing is great and just hiking on the snow.

More jobs in Boise.

[sunsueb]

Thanks for the info. I've considered Ashland too. It's beautiful there. Are the winters much sunnier there than in Corvallis?

I would probably like snoshoeing if it was sunny. I don't mind some clouds. I like a change in seasons. I am just tired of the constant grey clouds and rain and damp. A nice, sunny week is forecasted starting tomorrow. Hoping it happens. Maybe I'll take a drive to Bend...it's been a couple of years since I've been there. I haven't been to Boise.

[Luvtherain]

My hometown is just a couple hours southwest of Boise. It does get quite hot in the summer, but there is a nice greenbelt with walking trails and you can float tube the Boise river. Boise is in a valley so during the winter there are sometimes inversions meaning the smog hovers and can be a bit gloomy. The air is dry so winters are tolerable (dry cold is easier to bundle for than wet cold). They do get some wind in early spring but because they are nestled in the valley, it's not as bad as further east. The sun shines pretty much constantly in Boise. The suburb areas are nice as well. I have family and friends who call Meridian home and it's just minutes from downtown Boise. Also, if you enjoy the outdoors, there are some awesome hiking trails and camp grounds nearby. And you're just 2+ hours from Cascade and McCall, both wonderful sight-seeing areas.

[Mr.SmithW]

Bend's mountain backdrop + Boise's weather = Great Place.. Bend has horrible weather. Boise has horrible scenery. Put two and two together.. LOL

[kapetrich]

Originally Posted by Mr.SmithW

Bend's mountain backdrop + Boise's weather = Great Place.. Bend has horrible weather. Boise has horrible scenery. Put two and two together.. LOL

Before taking anything at face value, please reference page two in this thread: https://www.city-data.com/forum/portl...weather-2.html As well as others pointing out the same ridiculousness.

Mr. SmithW. I'm sorry, you have no credibility when it comes to weather in Bend.

[delta07]

Originally Posted by Mr.SmithW

Bend's mountain backdrop + Boise's weather = Great Place.. Bend has horrible weather. Boise has horrible scenery. Put two and two together.. LOL

I guess I'm not sure of your definition of "horrible" weather? I suppose it depends on what kind of weather you like. I've lived in Bend for 2.5 years and while the weather certainly has its negatives, I would never describe the weather as horrible.

Originally Posted by kapetrich

Before taking anything at face value, please reference page two in this thread: https://www.city-data.com/forum/portl...weather-2.html As well as others pointing out the same ridiculousness.

Mr. SmithW. I'm sorry, you have no credibility when it comes to weather in Bend.

Ah, knew I'd read something else my Mr. SmithW. It does seem as though his opinion regarding Bend and weather might have something more to do with personal issue rather than facts.

To the OP, there are many discussions regarding Bend's weather. If you do a search of the Oregon forum, you will see these threads and hopefully they can answer some of your questions as well.

[Mr.SmithW]

I guess living there for almost a year means I am not a credible reference for Bend's weather. The coldest day I ever felt in my life was living in Bend, and I even lived in Pullman, Washington during the worst winter of the decade. It was interesting to feel what -15F feels like. Wow, I can thank living in Bend for such an experience. Be careful walking downtown in the Winter, they don't deice the sidewalks or streets, so it is like an ice skating rink; one wrong step and you can break your neck.

[delta07]

Originally Posted by Mr.SmithW

I guess living there for almost a year means I am not a credible reference for Bend's weather. The coldest day I ever felt in my life was living in Bend, and I even lived in Pullman, Washington during the worst winter of the decade. It was interesting to feel what -15F feels like. Wow, I can thank living in Bend for such an experience. Be careful walking downtown in the Winter, they don't deice the sidewalks or streets, so it is like an ice skating rink; one wrong step and you can break your neck.

It could very well depend on the year you lived in Bend. This is my third winter in Bend, and while I would never claim it gets as much sunshine as Colorado in the winter, I also wouldn't say the weather is worse than Portland. But again, it depends on your definition of horrible. To me, the constant rain and overcast skies are miserable.

All I'm saying is that the OP should take your opinion with a grain of salt. Having lived in Bend for only 8 months, as you stated in the other thread Kapetrich linked, is hardly enough time to claim you are expert on Bend's weather.

I've lived in the mountains of Colorado at 10,000 feet, where we regularly had winds that howled at 40+ mph constantly. It wasn't unusual to wake up to a foot of snow or more. Winter lasted from late September sometimes until June. My toilet inside my house froze over on more than one occasion. My brake line froze on my truck most mornings. I would say having experienced that for 5 winters and Bend for 3, I would take Bend over Fairplay any day!

I don't intend to get into a he said/she said type argument here. After all, our opinions are shaped by our experiences. I just wouldn't want the OP to think Bend has the worst weather, as I can think of many places in the US and the world that qualify for that.

[Mr.SmithW]

Originally Posted by delta07

It could very well depend on the year you lived in Bend. This is my third winter in Bend, and while I would never claim it gets as much sunshine as Colorado in the winter, I also wouldn't say the weather is worse than Portland. But again, it depends on your definition of horrible. To me, the constant rain and overcast skies are miserable.

Oh Bend, has plenty of overcast skies, but it lacks the rain, but has more snow. Also, Bend does receive a good deal of rain, but the horrible soil prevents the ground from ever getting green. I was amazed when I was in Bend and it rained non-stop for 2 weeks that the ground was still as brown and ugly as in the summer. Even in Southern Oregon, which is more deserty than Northern Oregon, when it rained consistently for that period of time, the hills would turn to a pretty, lush green color.

I will repeat: If it is sunny in Bend, its sunny in Portland, if it is overcast in Portland it is usually overcast in Bend. Last February it was overcast and cloudy in Bend and I drove into Portland and it was blue skies! Oh, the irony of it all!

Originally Posted by delta07

I've lived in the mountains of Colorado at 10,000 feet, where we regularly had winds that howled at 40+ mph constantly. It wasn't unusual to wake up to a foot of snow or more. Winter lasted from late September sometimes until June. My toilet inside my house froze over on more than one occasion. My brake line froze on my truck most mornings. I would say having experienced that for 5 winters and Bend for 3, I would take Bend over Fairplay any day!

You win.. Bend's weather isn't so bad after you lived at 10,000+ feet in Colorado. I bet people living in Nunavut in Northern Canada would think Bend's winter is like being in Tahiti.