Southern Oregon Rain

Does it rain as much in Southern Oregon as it does in Portland?

Southern Oregon Rain

Not even close. It is much drier and desert like. look at weatherunderground or weather.com for stats on actual amts for specific towns.

Southern Oregon Rain

Pretty dry but which city are you thinking of ? Medford can be socked in with thick fog for a month or so which is worse than rain. Ashland is above the fog line as is Grants Pass. Ashland gets a tad more snow if they get any at all.

Not sure yet what areas are of interest. What cities in Southern Oregon would you say are good for young families and have proximity to top notch health care, excellent schools and modern amenities.

Medford and Ashland would likely have the best schools. There are smaller towns around each of the cities that aren%26#39;t too bad but you would want to make sure your kids could go to school in one of those cities. I would say that Ashland is a far more liberal town due to its emphasis on the arts. Medford is more focused on industry. Some might prefer living in Medford and getting there culture in Ashland. And some might prefer to live in Ashland and work in Medford. Some other places are Jacksonville, Phoenix, Talent. Grants Pass is okay if your family likes river activities but it may be more retirement and vacation focused.

We live here in Medford with our two kids ages 11 and 14. We have lived here for 12 years and really love it. It is a great place to raise kids! We have excellent health care, good schools (excellent might be pushing it, but that is everywhere in Oregon; our kids do public school for elementary and then an excellent private school for junior high and high school).

I agree with what Julauf said about the difference between Ashland and Medford (theses are the 2 major cities - aside from Grants Pass which is about 30 min. from Medford). Ashland is VERY liberal due to the arts and Southern Oregon University, but also has the best restaurants!! Medford is more conservative, has the better hospitals and more commerce.

Jacksonville is a wonderful old historic town. It has become a popular place for families to live.

Lastly, the weather in southern Oregon is much better than in Portland. Can be cold in the winter but much more sunny and not as much rain. Yes, we do get fog - although not for a whole month, and it usually is in the morning and in the evenng, but it can be a problem when you are trying to fly out of town.

I am happy to answer any more specific questions you may have if you are considering moving here. You can also e-mail me at family4travels@yahoo.com.

Actually, yes, it can rain in Southern Oregon as much as Portland, but that depends on where in southern Oregon.

See this page of mine, which shows a few towns near us - THE RAINFALL TABLES ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE ...

http://www.mdvaden.com/applegate_valley.shtml

I%26#39;m in Ruch with a Jacksonville address, in Applegate Valley.

We get 27 inches per year. But Williams about 20 minutes west, gets 33 inches, which is nearly at the Portland area%26#39;s 36 inches.

The southern coast near Brookings, gets double that, at least.

In southern Oregon, you can pick the rainfall that you like. Either a little, or a lot.

Medford and Ashland are both at 19 inches.

So 30 minutes of drive moves you from a 19 inch zone to a 33 inch zone.

Almost forgot.

If you check climate tables for temperature and rain, you will notice that the average winter temperatures for the Medford area, are within a few degrees of Portland%26#39;s average.

And, it really doesn%26#39;t rain that much in Portland. The wetness / mistiness is frequent, but there can be quite a few clear days in winter, when it%26#39;s cold and dry.

Why don%26#39;t you research Newberg, Sherwood, Wilsonville, Banks, North Plains.

I was in Beaverton by Portland since 1963, and those suburbs would be in my top choices if I was to be there with kids.

We won%26#39;t relocate with children, so we%26#39;ll probably consider the north coast, Vernonia, Banks, Beaverton, North Plains.

Maybe even the tiny community of Timber near Banks.