slides: Ten Reasons Why Portlanders Love Wet and Windy Weather

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

GoLocalPDX Lifestyle Team

Photo credit: iStock

Fall has fallen, and the summer sunshine - despite brief appearances on brisk, cool afternoons - is largely a distant memory. . But don't be downcast, Portlanders - our crappy weather is really a good thing for this city and its wind-swept, rain-soaked residents. Here are ten reasons why we love wet and windy Portland weather.

Banner Photo Credit: iStock

Related Slideshow: Ten Reasons Why Portlanders Love Wet and Windy Weather

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Dry Weather Makes Us Nervous

We get nervous if we go for too long without rain. Portlanders finding themselves in Arizona, say, or New Mexico - any sunny, dry weather place - get a little anxious if more than two days passes without seeing rain. "Are the flowers going to make it?" we ponder while stocking up on bottled water for the obvious imminent catastrophe.

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Wet Weather Style

If we do rain well, we do raingear even better. Some of the best Portland companies – we’re looking at you Nau and Wild - are producing stylish gear for just this kind of seasonal temperature drop. Just because it’s raining, doesn’t mean you have to look bedraggled, peeps.

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It Keeps Us Warm in the Winter

Most Portlanders prefer warm and wet winters over clear and cold - or at least that’s what we tell ourselves. Overcast skies heavy with moisture are like a warm wet, wool blanket over Portland and keep us in the 40s and 50s for most of the winter.

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It's Something to Talk About

The rain is back, the rain is gone, it hasn't rained, it hasn't stopped - whatever the case, Portland weather is the perfect conversational gambit. No matter who you’re talking to in PDX – be they Republican or Democrat, pro- or anti-fluoride in the water - you know the one thing you have in common is the weather.

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We Like Things to be Difficult

Portlanders love a challenge – we’re the people who live in the shadow of a volcano, and like to climb mountains, hike gorges and other, ahem, relaxing activities in our free time. If we had sunshine all year round, we’d have nothing to rail against and overcome. Rain suits us. We’re hardy like that.

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It Makes for Good Art

Portland is a hotbed of artists – angsty musicians a la M Ward, writers like Cheryl Strayed, visual artists such as Storm Tharp - we're bursting at the seams. Everyone knows that for good art you need a firm foundation of misery and malaise. There’s a reason why Portland features so prominently on the nation’s artistic map – gray skies, take a bow.

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Soaking is Sexy

Bad weather, as people in many parts of Portland found out yesterday , can cause power outages. Nobody’s denying that can be trying, but look at the upside: power outages have been linked to sex surges since the dawn of electricity itself. Power down? Get jiggy with it, Portland!

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Sunshine is Bad For Your Skin

Wanna look old really – I mean, really – quickly? Live in a sunny climate and soak up those rays on a daily basis. Also, we may be soaked to the skin up here, but at least that skin is melanoma free.

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Wind Blown is Good for Selfies

In every movie ever made between 1970 and 1985 it seemed there was some sort of fan machine making sure that every feathered follicle was blowing in the wind. Who doesn't love the wind-blown look, especially in a selfie-portrait at sunset...with a rainbow...and Fabio. After all the "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" pitchman is allegedly moving to our part of the Northwest.