Portland, Oregon Blog #1

Portland's location is 45 deg 31' 12" N, 122 deg 40' 55" W.  It is part of the Pacific Northwest region in the United States.  Portland lies in the northern part of the Willamette Valley, formed by the Pacific Coast Range to the west and the Cascade Range to the east.  It is 65 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers.  The location of the weather station used for this blog is at the Portland International Airport, and is 20 ft above sea level.

Portland, Oregon's Relative Location in North America

Map: Lisa Ritchie, Data: ESRI

Portland, Oregon Weather Station Location (red pin)

Map: http://www.wunderground.com/wundermap/?lat=45.588612&lon=-122.597504&zoom=8&pin=Portland%2c%20OR

Portland is characterized as having a maritime climate.  Its relative distance from the Pacific Ocean moderates its climate given its northern location.  I would estimate the region's average Bowen ratio to be 0.4, due to maritime characteristics.  The Bowen ratio relates sensible heat to latent heat, with regions of higher moisture content having lower ratios.

Data source: http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate.php?location=USOR0275

When using the GEEBIT Version 3B spreadsheet, the following table reflects various combinations and the resultant temperature changes.  I would estimate that in Portland, these variations would occur with slightly less magnitude than drier areas.  What may affect Portland with greater change are not the affects on the land, but the changes that may occur in the Pacific Ocean.  If the currents shift, or temperature of the sea rises, that could alter the moderating effect.  

Data source: Mini-Geebit Version 3