£358+ Cheap flights to Oregon

Oregon climate

Oregon is split into two climate zones by the north-south Cascade Mountains. In general, west of the Cascades gets fairly heavy rain and moderate temperatures. East of the Cascades, the high desert can have very cold winters with considerable snowfall in the upper elevations. Summer days are very hot and the nights cool. Annual rainfall ranges from less than 20cm (8 inches) in the plateau regions to 508cm (200 inches) in the upper western Coast Range. The highest elevations of the Cascades receive 762-1,400cm (300 to 550 inches) of snow annually.

What is good to know if travelling to Oregon?

• The Sea Lion Caves in Florence is the largest sea cave in the world.
• Heceta Head Lighthouse is beautifully situated in Lane County, America’s most photographed lighthouse (it is claimed) sits on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and beach below.
• It is said that Oregon has more ghost towns than any other state in America. These ghost towns don’t have spooks, they are rather towns that have either been abandoned or are greatly diminished. Shaniko is Oregon’s best known ghost town.
• There are several places along the Oregon coast from which to watch whales including Winchester Bay. There are two times of year to see the whales. During the winter migration (see the whales between December 26 and the start of January) the mammals travel south to the breeding grounds in Baja, California. The spring migration occurs in March and is when the whales swim by with their calves on their way to the Alaskan feeding grounds.
• The Willamette Valley is the heart of Oregon’s agriculture country. During spring and summer, roadside stands and farmers’ markets in the towns sell produce. There are more than 200 wineries producing several types of wine including Pinot noir, Pinot gris and Riesling.
• Mount Hood is the highest mountain in Oregon and is easily accessible from Portland. There is just a 90-minute drive to get to the skiing or snowboarding areas.