Well, it’s summer now, and so I thought it would be interesting to look at how summer is different between L.A. and Portland. While there may be the fewer differences between summer in L.A. and in Portland than in other seasons in each city, there still are differences.

For those of you who live outside the West Coast, there is a general dry season on the West Coast during summer and residents can count on less rain at this time than in other seasons, but the similarity ends there. The main differences is in the duration and amount of rain in each given month of the dry season and it’s effects.

In L.A., the rain generally shuts off for June through mid October, and sometimes shuts off as early as March and sometimes doesn’t start again till late December! In those rare instances when rain falls here in July, August, or September, it is usually from a straying of part of a monsoonal system coming from further east or a broken up hurricane from Mexico.

Also, the grass can turn golden brown as early as late March and last through the start of November, hence the term, “The Golden State”.

Hollywood Sign at 20x zoom. 6/24/2012

In Portland, the rain doesn’t really shut off but does lessen significantly from mid June through mid September, and you can see a decent rainstorm even in July, the driest month. And the grass usually doesn’t start turning gold until July, and, if it’s a rainy summer or one where the lesser amount of rain is fairly evenly distributed, the grass won’t turn as brown or gold. However, if there’s what would be considered a drought for the area, the grass will turn gold for the summer, though it still won’t be as prominent as in California due to the extensive tree cover, which keeps the area looking far more green than L.A., even in drier years.

But, in exposed areas, the golden grass will show if you look for it. This was the case in the summer of 2015.

Views from Marina Drive at west end of PDX Airport. 9/3/2012

In terms of temperature, L.A. is definitely warmer than Portland, and, the topography can mean large differences in temperature between locations just a few miles apart. West Hollywood and Encino, in the San Fernando Valley, are just separated by about 4 or 5 miles. Yet, in the summer, it can be 80 degrees in West Hollywood and 95 degrees in Encino on the same day! And Santa Monica on the ocean about 8 miles away, may be at 70 degrees at the same time! Then, there are the area’s infamous Santa Ana winds, which can come at almost any time of year, but when they come in September, they often bring the area’s hottest temperatures, well over 100 degrees, and can last over a week!

In Portland, temperatures tend to be cooler overall and, while one can see triple digit temps here, there are fewer instances and heat waves are of shorter duration than those in L.A. Oftentimes, the major heat waves in the Portland area are caused by the area’s East Wind, which can also occur at any time of year, but only in summer does it act like a Santa Ana and bring excessive heat.

Also, there is less difference in temperatures around the Portland area and it’s suburbs. Hillsboro, in the western part of the Portland area, tends to be the warmest, but it is not much hotter in summer than the downtown area or the other suburbs and it is usually rare for a difference or more than 8 degrees.

Finally, there’s the length of daylight, especially in June. There’s not a real large difference in the time of sunrise, but, in the evening, there’s a large difference in the time of sunset. In L.A., it gets dark by about 8:30pm, while in Portland, there’s still plenty of light at 9:30pm and you can still see a little light in the sky at 10pm!

So, here you have summer in L.A. and Portland. Wherever you are, in Portland, L.A., or anywhere else, do enjoy your summer!

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And thanks for reading!  🙂

I was wondering about selling items this Saturday at a nearby outside flea market, but there is a chance of rain forecast and that means you cannot really tell if it will rain or not, at least here in the Portland, Oregon area.

About 12 years ago, as of this writing, I made the move from the Los Angeles are to the Portland area, mostly for the cooler weather, as well as for other reasons. I knew Portland was different from L.A., but, during these last 12 years here, I’ve come to actually experience the differences, and similarities, in detail.

Climate here is certainly different, though there are similarities here, too, the main one being that, like L.A., Portland is wetter during the winter than during the summer. And rain is different up here for sure. Portland, and the Pacific Northwest, is known for rain. I like it when it rains, and occasionally snows, so this is the ideal place for me.

Does it always rain every single day all day as many people think?

No, it doesn’t. And it doesn’t necessarily rain a lot, just often.

The rainy season, while peaking in the winter months as it does in L.A., lasts much longer up here, sometimes running from September through June whereas in L.A., it usually doesn’t start in earnest until at least the second half of October, and often falls off by the end of March.

Another difference is that during the drier part of the year in Portland, you will have a lot of sunny warm days and you will see rain at times, even during July and August, though not nearly as often as during the other months of the year. In L.A., July and August (as well as May, June, September, oftentimes October, and sometimes even November!) are bone dry, with the occasional monsoonal sprinkles in some years.

But, it’s not only the length of the rainy season that’s different, it’s the rain itself.

Rain up here can range from drizzle to downpours to passing showers of varying intensity to days long steady rain. And it can vary even by the hour! I’ve seen clear mornings give way to rainy afternoons.

Now, in L.A., most often, once the sun comes out, the rain is over and you can put your rain hat away for the day. Not so up here in Portland or the Pacific Northwest. The sun may come out and it may look as if the storm will clear, then the clouds will either build up again and drop more rain or a new group of clouds will blow in and the rain begins again. I’ve experienced this many times when distributing fliers door to door, which is why I pay close attention to the weather forecasts, and, if there’s a chance of rain for that day, I make sure to bring my rain hat!

Then, the rain can “fall” in different ways! And it literally has different “personalities”!

I’ve seen stretches of steady moderate rain, but also drizzle. One drizzle was like a fine misty spray, strong, but the drops still very small and light at the same time.

Then, most often in fall and spring, there will be bands of clouds with sun breaks in between. The bands of clouds are sometimes really well-defined and will come over you with drenching downpours! And, if you are on a hill with a view in the right direction, you can literally see the rain and the bands of clouds dropping the rain, “marching” in procession! I’ve seen this, too.

Then, though still rare compared to the Midwest, the Portland area does see more thunderstorms than the L.A. area and thunderstorms can come at any time of year, though they’re more prevalent in late spring and summer, and often are accompanied by small hail.

And, if you like big spectacular clouds, you’ll see them more up here, too.

In the winter months, if it is nearly cold enough to snow, but not quite, the rain can come with a snow or hail mix and, when the rain hits your windshield, you may see ice in it, what some up here call “chunky rain”. Then, though rare, we also see what is called “sleet”, or freezing rain, which of course coats everything in ice. One winter, we had sleet that coated all the plants and when the wind blew, the leaves and longer grasses would bump each other and make a clinking sound, like wind chimes, something never seen or heard in the L.A. area.

So, to sum it up, it rains a lot up here, but not every day or always all day long, and the rain does have it’s different “personalities” up here. And I enjoy them all!

Enjoy the rain and keep dry, too!

And thanks for reading!  🙂