INFO CENTER
RECENT UPDATES
NEIGHBORHOODS
Central Oregon Climate
Bend and Central Oregon are considered a ‘High Desert’. The region is generally arid with less than 30 inches of rain annually. The elevation varies slightly but is around 3,200 feet above sea level. Average temperatures range from 20-40 degrees in January to 43-82 degrees in July. Wide temperature swings are common on any given day. It may be nearly 100 degrees during the day, but cool down to 50 degrees at night. This is due to the higher elevation and the loss of short-wave radiation at night. This is due largely to its location on the east side of the Cascade Mountain range.
Spring generally brings a large portion of our annual rainfall and remains cool. This usually lasts from late March until the end of May. Memorial Weekend can be a bit of a gamble for outdoor activities. Skiing remains good however. Gardens usually aren’t started until mid to late May.
Summer is the time to get out and explore the Cascade Mountains or enjoy one of the many lakes, reservoirs, or rivers. Temperatures go up and things tend to dry out quite a bit in the lower elevations. Dust can be a bit of problem this time of year, but it rarely gets up to 100 degrees.
Fall is a wonderful time to be outdoors in Central Oregon. The temperatures have usually cooled off but the wetter weather hasn’t settled in yet. Some of the best camping, fishing, boating, hiking, and exploring can be had at this time of the year.
Winter can be cold here. The elevation really comes into play at this time of the year. Snow does fall in Bend proper, but rarely causes much difficulty in travel. The Cascade Mountains to the west can receive over 300 inches of annual snowfall and snow pack can push 180 inches on an average year. This makes for some great winter sports opportunities.