News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
However, such a simple statement masks the monthly fluctuations in both temperatures and precipitation.
The extreme maximum of 72 degrees F., registered on February 20 and 23, was not only the highest February temperature on record but was only the second time that the 70 degrees F. mark had been reached in Sisters during February.
Then on Valentine's Day hearts were certainly chilled by the -5 degrees F. minimum, a reading that proved to be the year's lowest temperature! One further note: In an otherwise exceptionally mild February, over 14 inches of snow fell in Sisters (and 21 inches at Black Butte Ranch).
Spring in Central Oregon is frequently hardly worthy of the name but rather a continuation of winter. In 1995, March proved to be colder than February!
In April and May there were those weather teasers -- glorious days when the sun sparkled from blue skies and the mercury climbed to the perspiration level. Few people complained because they knew too well that kind of weather wouldn't last.
Such was the case in April and May in 1995. The extreme maximums in Sisters for those two months were 76 degrees F. and 80 degrees F., respectively. However, the mercury dropped to 18 degrees F. in April and to 24 degrees F. in May.
All of the months between April and July were wetter than average. Combined the rainfall for those four months was 256 per cent of the long- term average. With a cool June, Sisters' residents wondered if summer would ever arrive.
As it turned out, despite a few days with temperatures of 90 degrees F. or higher, average maximum temperatures in June, July and August collectively were 9.3 degrees F. below the long- term average.
Some nights were extremely chilly. Minimums in June, July, and August were, respectively, 30 degrees F., 28 degrees F., and a record- equaling 26 degrees F. in August.
September was a scorcher with the mercury climbing as high as 96 degrees F. in mid- month. The September average maximum, 79.5 degrees F. was nearly as warm as that of July or August.
Beginning in August and lasting through September, Mother Nature turned off the spigot. Dry conditions in the forests and the warmer temperatures in September caused concern over fire danger.
Between August 1 and October 30, precipitation in Sisters totaled only 0.54 inches -- about 29 percent of the average for those months.
November and December were strange months. Tropical air streamed over Oregon which brought some very mild temperatures. There were some strong winds, days with fog, a sizable snowfall, some exceptionally mild nights, yet a few chilly early morning readings.
Precipitation for 1995 totaled 19.32 inches, over twice that of 1994 and far more than the long- term average of 14 inches. In fact, 19.32 inches ranked 1995 the third wettest year on record with only the 20.58 inches in 1981 and the 20.20 inches in 1964 exceeding what was measured in 1995.
Elsewhere in Central Oregon, precipitation totals for 1995 ranged from 36.07 inches at Black Butte Ranch to 11.18 inches at Redmond.
Overall for 1995, Sisters temperatures calculated to 45.90 degrees F., exactly the same as the long- term average. However, while the year's average maximum of 60.1 degrees F. was below the long- term 61.4 degrees F., Sisters average minimum temperature of 31.7 degrees F. was slightly higher than the long- term 30.5 degrees F.
Generally speaking, the weather cooperated for the staging of major events in Sisters. There was mixed weather for the Sisters Rodeo and sunny conditions for the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show -- at least until a thunderstorm moved in about mid- afternoon. Warm, sunny weather prevailed for the jazz festival but cool conditions forced the first Sisters Folk Festival to move indoors.
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