Portland, Oregon is classified as
Cfc/Cfb in the Koeppen System. This is the mild mid-latitude classification and
more specifically the marine climate. This climate has wet winters, with only
slight chances of freezing, followed by extremely humid, hot summers that are
generally very short. The factors that make Portland part of this system are
due to location.
The mid-latitude cyclones that are
present during much of the year are the cause of much of the weather that
Portland receives. The other major factor that affects winds and temperature is
the relative proximity to the ocean. Because Portland is close to the ocean,
the sea breezes help to keep the winter mild and the summers cooler. The
proximity to the ocean also allows for more precipitation in the area. The
climate Portland has fits the classification of C.
A graph of the overall average of
the Cfc/Cfb precipitation and the temperature is shown below. As well as
related graphs for Portland, Oregon.
Graph of C averages and
information:
Pidwirny, Michael. “Moist Mid-latitude
Climates with Mild Winters-C Climate Type.” 25 Mar., 2011. Web. 13 Mar., 2014. http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/162272/
Graphs for Portland derived from
information from:
“Monthly Weather for Portland.” The Weather Channel. 2012. Web. 13 Mar.,
2014. http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USOR0275
When I visited Northern Washington and Portland, many of the people told me that it was unusual that they had sunny days. Does this hold true because of the location of the city? If so how does the city's location influence its normal cloud cover? Finally, would you enjoy the weather more in New Mexico if it was rainy like in Portland? Cause I personally would.
ReplyDeleteThe sun in New Mexico is nice, but I would appreciate more rain. The reason Portland sees so many cloudy days is because it is a cool coastal city. The maritime polar air from the ocean collides with air masses in land. Because the polar maritime air has such a huge moisture content, convection occurs creating clouds and precipitation over the area. To answer your question more directly, yes, location has everything to do with the cloud cover over the area.
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