Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Christmas at the Coast

Not everyone wants a White Christmas. Really? Yes it's true, some people don't like snow! Well here in the mighty Pacific Northwest, it is safe to say the least likely location for snow on Christmas or any other day, is the beach. The beach rarely gets snow.

Many people enjoy staying along the coast during the winter to watch the storms roll in off the ocean, listen to the heavy surf crashing on the beach, and enjoy the majesty and power of the world's largest ocean.

You can see the 2016 events calendar to the left wrapping up this month. The coast is generally quite a bit warmer in the winter time than in the Portland Metro area as the maritime influence is quite strong. Although the Pacific Ocean gets dangerously cold during the winter months with sea temperatures falling into the low to mid 40s, it still acts as a warming influence against the cold air masses that flow into the region. The Portland Metro has much less of a connection to the tempering ocean and so it can be 20 degrees here whilst the coast is enjoying 40s.

I don't want to overstep this my friends; if you are looking for a warm and sunny Christmas, this is not for you. For that you'll need to head south...way south ;) But the shoreline can be such a beautiful place, even in the winter and the power of natural forces can be hypnotic. It will likely be windy and chilly, but the coast can be truly awe inspiring at the holidays.

No comments:

Post a Comment