The last week has been sunny and the temperature is inching higher; warm weather is so close we can taste it. Since we were in Portland from February-April 2016, we’re right at the three year window and it’s been fun comparing how different it’s been this time around.
Winter 2016 was very mild, but also very wet. The temperatures hovered around 50 (the average for PNW winters), and there were many gray and drizzly days (also average for PNW winters). Winter 2018 has been vastly different! The temperatures this go-round have been well below average with more 30-degree days than we’d care to count and a couple of snow days thrown in there. We didn’t see snow at all in 2016 unless we went into the mountains, so, needless to say, we were surprised.
Precipitation is another area that has surprised us this time. While 2016 was pretty gray and wet, 2019 has been…I don’t want to jinx it…sunny and dry. There have been days of rain, but more often than not the sun is shining. While the city has been dry, the mountains have been getting a lot of snow. We’ve seen snow much lower on Mt. Hood than in 2016 and all of the trails we’ve hiked have been covered in the white stuff. A big part of the reason we haven’t done much hiking this winter has been because of the cold as well as the snowy (and therefore sloppy) trail conditions.
Weather aside, we’re still really enjoying our time here. We’re not as gung-ho about seeing and doing all the things as we were in 2016, and have been taking our time settling into a routine. The food and beer are still top notch, though we do need to prioritize getting out more.
We’re really excited for the rest of spring and summer since we haven’t gotten to experience those yet. Big plans include: seeing the rose test garden in full bloom, getting to the National Forests, and spending some time on the coast.
mattandbethtravels 