WEATHER INFORMATION

General Climate:

Bend enjoys the predominately dry climate of the Great Basin.  Sunny days, low humidity, and cool nights provide the most common weather pattern.

Average Temperatures: 

Temperature:

Moderate days and cool nights characterize Bend’s year-round climate.  Because of the high altitude and clear air, nighttime temperatures average 30° to 40° below the daytime highs.  Evenings are generally cool, even in the summer, requiring sweaters or jackets.  Annual temperature extremes show that only one year out of five has a temperature colder than –17° or warmer than 100°.  Frost can occur during any summer month.

Precipitation:

The average annual precipitation in Bend is less than 12 inches, over half falls between November and February, often as snow.  Brief thunderstorms usually provide most of the light summer rain.  The average annual snowfall is 33.8 inches.  Snow rarely accumulates to more than a few inches in depth nor lies on the ground for an extended period.  Snow depth in Bend exceeds 24 inches in only one winter out of twenty.  At Mt. Bachelor, the ski resort 22 miles southwest of Bend, snow normally reaches depths of 160 to 180 inches.

Sunshine:

Bend has the highest average number of sunny days in the state.  Clear days average 158 days per year with an additional 105 days that are mostly sunny.  Many of the remaining days provide substantial sunshine.  Days that are totally cloudy do not often occur.

Wind:

Surface winds prevail out of the South and Southeast from October to February, then West and Northwest for the remaining months.  Wind speeds average from 5 to 7 mph most months.

Growing Season:

Because severe frosts have occurred as late as May 31 and as early as September 1, the general advice is to plan for a 92 day growing season.  Any transplanting of annual bedding plants in Bend before Memorial Day involves an element of risk.  Some of the lowest minimums on record have occurred during the months of June, July, and August.