my impressions of Portland, 2 weeks later (Bend: rent, transfer, buy)

[HonestOne1]

Phoenix = paradise. We haven't seen a cloud in months.

But we have some whiners we would love to send your way.

[Truglesmith]

Phoenix = paradise?!! That's hilarious. The state is a hot-bed of hellish heat, and has some of the noisiest, narrow-minded hotheads in the country. Did I use the word "hot" enough? And how about the pyscho who shot a congresswoman(?) because he didn't like her views?

You don't have to move to the south to have clear skies. The south sucks anyway.

[pete6032]

Originally Posted by philwithbeard

- Did you know that the Green & Yellow MAX line stop at Pioneer Courthouse is across the street from a nice small several floors shopping Mall? In the basement (excuse me, Lower Lever & overpriced food court) is one of the largest volume iPad-MAC stores in Oregon? Go price check a new iPhone. l

I've eaten at that food court once or twice, just during the week when its been pretty dead. California Crisp is a bit expensive for food-court fare, but their wrap sandwiches are decent. We don't have them in the Midwest.

[ffffffaaaaa1]

Originally Posted by Leisesturm

Since we are on the subject, can anyone tell me why someone who is positive or upbeat about Portland is seen as an apologist or Pollyanna while someone who is negative about PDX is "being honest"? What about someone who is neither? I don't know anyone who actually likes rain. Umbrella's and rain gear do get sold by retailers and people use them to protect themselves from the rain. It rains as much as or more on NYC than on Portland yet you will never hear New York described as a particularly rainy city. Why is that? Only a very few of the many Starbucks in NYC are open till 9:00. Coffee, as high in caffeine as it is has never become known as a nighttime refreshment. It makes sense for Starbucks in a place like Portland to close at 7:30. That's not being apologist thats being practical. For me there is no way to sugar coat it, the o.p. has made a personal choice that does not appear to be the best for them. I would be a flying pack of sheep if I claimed never to have done likewise. I can, however, claim with some amount of smug authority to never having attempted to publicly put down a person or place for not living up to my expectations.

H

I don't really follow the logic of all of your statements. But the few that I did...my choice is fine. And many many people drink coffee at night!

[ffffffaaaaa1]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

I DO know several people who do like the rain, particularly the cool and lack of sun.


The difference in how much rain is perceived is in the distribution of rain - from the City Data Weather pages:

NYC precip - spread out through the year



Portland precip - bunched up

This is wonderful! Thanks!

Apparently, we're about to go below the ave right about now, in Apr.

[ExNooYawk]

Originally Posted by ffffffaaaaa1

Have to confess...as much as I hated the rain today, it's much better weather than Mpls. Have to be honest about that.

Have you found Powell's Books? That's even more fun than Barnes and Noble, imho.

You'll like it more when the weather changes. Most places not in the sunbelt are icky in the winter. Hang in there.

[wrcousert]

Originally Posted by ffffffaaaaa1

And another depressing fact---yes there are lot of starbucks, but they close at 7:30 pm. This is so depressing. And there are few and far between Barnes and noble, and target stores (which all suck--all 3 of them). And no walmarts. Waaaaaa

That seems strange. I'm currently living in Murrieta, California (population - a little over 100k) and the Starbucks here are open until at least 10:00pm.

[PNW-type-gal]

Originally Posted by ffffffaaaaa1

This is wonderful! Thanks!

Apparently, we're about to go below the ave right about now, in Apr.

There are two weather patterns here which skew the weather away from normal - El Nino and La Nina. Right now we are in a strong La Nina (google it and you'll see how extensive this pattern is in the Pacific), which means wetter and cooler than normal. The good thing is snowpack is way up - we were only on track for an average snowpack until about the beginning of February when it really turned wet. Depending on the part of the state, we're anywhere between 110-160% of normal.

Good for fish and crops, anyway. It's really been a wet 2011 from Los Angeles to Alaska, the entire west coast has had a wet year thus far. Forecast is for it to stay this way through about the beginning of May (as much as forecasts work here anyway - very few parts of the US have such a forecasting challenge as NOAA does here, and they are frequently VERY wrong).

[wrcousert]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

There are two weather patterns here which skew the weather away from normal - El Nino and La Nina. Right now we are in a strong La Nina (google it and you'll see how extensive this pattern is in the Pacific), which means wetter and cooler than normal. The good thing is snowpack is way up - we were only on track for an average snowpack until about the beginning of February when it really turned wet. Depending on the part of the state, we're anywhere between 110-160% of normal.

Good for fish and crops, anyway. It's really been a wet 2011 from Los Angeles to Alaska, the entire west coast has had a wet year thus far. Forecast is for it to stay this way through about the beginning of May (as much as forecasts work here anyway - very few parts of the US have such a forecasting challenge as NOAA does here, and they are frequently VERY wrong).

Is the drought officially over?

[PNW-type-gal]

Originally Posted by wrcousert

Is the drought officially over?

In the long term, no. So far this year, yes, the water outlook for 2011 is for enough water to supply most ag and fish run uses. On the other hand, all it would take is a month of warm weather above the snowline to wipe out the snow pack - that's happened in previous years, where we had a good snow pack going in to spring but then lost it in a warm late spring.