Portland weather (Beaverton, Hillsboro, St. Helens: homes, living, vs.)

[Michael Tryn]

we all know the "rain comparison" numbers for Portland , D.C. Atlanta, etc. I wish to add , A recent "Best Places " list , perhaps it was Forbes or another, put Tampa as bad and Orland as in the top 5 best. The only trouble was, "the southeast has a terrible climate" ! My wife wants clean fresh air, as God intended it !, not air conditioning. We would never live in Texas or Fla. If one does research, Missoula is no. 1 in the summer. That is why we want Portland or S.F. but I don't think I cn handle S.F. as I have foolishly been an honest man, and not a Bernie Madoff. I wish to ask ! "Where are the good places to live to see Mt. Hood out of your back yard " ?

[Neal2009]

If you are sick of the heat and blazing sun 300 days a year, then there is no better place than Portland. I would guess Portland averages about 180-200 days a year where the skies are primarily gray, and at least 150 days of rain. At first it can take some getting used to. Coming from Texas, I was used to temps of 75 degrees in the wintertime and blazing sun all year round. When it got gray, it only stayed about 1-3 days then it was sunny the next 7 days. Here you will encounter long stretches of overcast weather lasting anywhere from a week to several weeks in extreme cases. However, I love it and appreciate those sunny days 10 times more now. Plus, in the winter the temps are about 45-50 degrees, anything but unbearable.

To get a view of Mt. Hood from you backyard you would probably have to live in the hills, which are located west and southwest of downtown Portland. I think if you live on the east or southeast side, which is not on the downtown side of the river, you could see Hood as well. The view is, however, more spectacular from the hills, but I think these homes must be quite expensive. I have been riding my bike up there recently and am amazed such a view exists in ones own backyard!

Good luck on your choice. Portland is a great city despite some of the many perceived negatives.

[PDXKompressor]

Living east of Portland in the rural areas can offer some of the best views of the mountain I have seen. It is really a magical area and even tho you may only be 30-45 minutes from downtown, you feel like you're out in the middle of a wilderness... because you are!

[ceeglass]

If you like sunshine even half the time, you won't get it in Portland.

[johndmcmanis]

Portland gets a trace or more (0.01") of precipitation 145 days out of the year, and receives about 2,155 sunshine hours annually. By comparison, the New York-Boston areas get about 115 rain days and 2,550 sunshine hours per year. Portland's "gloom factor" is very similar to that of the Rust Belt cities like Buffalo and Pittsburgh--only Portlanders don't have to endure harsh winters or oppressive summers. Plus, Portland has beautiful scenery and outstanding access to outdoor recreation.

Mt. Hood can be seen from many parts of the metro area, to include downtown and even the western suburbs of Beaverton and Hillsboro.

The secret to making it through a long, dark winter in Portland is to make a point of getting outside every day. Once you're on the move out in the elements, you will feel invigorated and uplifted. Gloom is the worst when you're inside looking out, so get in the habit of exercising or walking in the drizzle at least a half hour a day. Trust me, it makes all the difference in the world!

[EnricoV]

Interesting statistic.

It's probably pertinent to add that the average number of hours of sunlight vs. dark (12 hrs of each in a day) is 4,380. Which means that Portland is sunny 50% of the time.

[tigerlily]

We were at the Beaverton Farmer's Market on Saturday and saw Mt. Hood while driving on Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy. You might be able to see it from your backyard someplace in Beaverton.

[davefr]

The east side of the Chehalem Mtns. which is 30 miles Southwest of Portland. Bald Peak is the highest point between the Coastal range and Mt Hood. (1600')

Being on the east side of the mountain keeps it a tad drier and the elevation keeps it above that miserable Williamete Valley fog that's so common in the winter.

I see not only Mt. Hood but also Mt. Adams, Mt Rainier, Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Jefferson from nearly every room in my home.

However the elevation can often mean that when Portland gets rain, we get snow!! Temps average about 5-7 degrees less then Portland.

[Raelyn28]

All I can say is the rain makes it BEAUTIFUL to say the least. One of the prettiest places in the US...