A man and his son enjoy a Memorial Day weekend camping trip near Bend
I've decided I am no longer going to use the word "spring" in association with Bend weather or climate.
"Spring" does not happen in Bend. A lot of people who migrate here from California say they "enjoy having four seasons," but Bend doesn't have four seasons. It has three seasons -- well, actually only two and a half: Winter, Winter Phase II (or Winter II for short) and Summer.
Winter can begin anytime between Oct. 1 and Nov. 1, but typically begins on Nov. 1. It continues until the start of April and then segues into Winter II, which runs to mid-June or sometimes later.
The weather during Winter II is pretty much like the weather during Winter, only a tiny bit warmer and with less snow (but often more rain.)
May is right smack in the middle of Winter II, and the weather has been appropriate to the season -- cloudy, gray and drizzly, with the thermometer struggling to push up into the 60s most days.
May Totals
Days of Sun: 13
Days of Suck: 18
YTD Totals:
Days of Sun: 49
Days of Suck: 90
8 comments:
You speak the truth, Blackdog and the truth sometimes hurts. We moved here looking for more outdoor avenues and so far have found a lot of gray and clouds and far less sun than we had hoped. And I will say that my hopes were based on marketing campaigns for Bend claiming 300+ days of Sun. I will say, with all frankness, that the claim I bought into is bullshit. At least for the past few years.
Anonymous: The 300-days-of-sunshine claim is bullshit EVERY year. I've never experienced a single year here that contained what I would consider 300 days of sunshine.
I'm sorry you got hornswaggled, but you have a lot of company, if that's any consolation.
The chamber of commerce’s should advertise truthfully: "Welcome to Bend. The bastion of mediocrity, were you can enjoy 300 days of freezing overcast"
In all fariness, dear Blackdog, Central Oregon has a fantastic and very enjoyable autumn season. September in particular, when the crowds have gone, is sublime.
Okay, we've got pleasant weather in July, August, September and the latter half of June -- three and a half months out of 12. In all honesty, dear Mugmkr, that is not very impressive.
Sometimes Indian summer lingers through October, but last year we had snow on Oct. 4.
Oh, I wasn't trying to impress you at all, my friend. Just pointing out an omission in your blog post - you missed one of the seasons, and it happens to be my favorite one in Central Oregon.
Well, I tend to think of the fall/Indian summer (September-October) as an extension of summer.
Maybe I should say that the seasons here are Winter, Winter II, Summer and Summer II.
"Summer II" LOL!
Yeah, that's the "II" you may or may -not- get? Before anyone forms a dogpile, I grew up in Chicago. We're not exactly 'wimps' when it comes to weather!
But what I grew to realize when my sanity was challenged more and more waiting longer and longer for each successive spring is that, on nealry ANY given day in May or October damned Duluth, MN is enjoying nicer weather than 'we' are!
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