The seasons are changing in Central Oregon, sometimes violently swinging between intense summerlike heat waves and raging winter storms, with moments of calm that resemble the mild autumn season: bluebird skies, warm sunny days, and chilly evenings. At some point during the past few weeks, or perhaps only the past few days, the leaves have begun to change, shifting to red, orange, and golden yellow. Soon, they will be crunching under our feet. A few wildflowers can still be found holding on, poking through the snow that has dusted the high alpine meadows.
Celebrate the transitioning seasons (or escape the stormy weather) at the High Desert Museum, and learn how weather shapes us at the “Rain, Snow, or Shine” exhibit. This exhibit examines our understanding of all types of weather—rain, sunshine, snow, and hail—and how weather plays a role in our lives. How we dress, the type of food we grow, our daily work and activities, and how we use precious resources like water are all affected by the weather patterns we experience and the way we forecast weather. Anyone who has made plans—or changed plans—based on the weather, prepared for any activity based on the forecast, or cooked a particular meal to suit the weather (say, slow-cooked chili in the crockpot on a damp, bitterly cold day), will appreciate—and hopefully learn something new at—the “Rain, Snow, and Shine” exhibit.
From shifting seasons to broader patterns and impacts on the environment, we are shaped by the weather just as surely as a gnarled juniper tree clinging to a high ridge is shaped by driving wind, snow, ice, and intense sunshine on one of our nearby mountains. The “Rain, Snow, or Shine” exhibit is open now through February 21, 2016.
“Rain, Snow, or Shine”
High Desert Museum, 59800 S Hwy 97
Free with admission
This article appears in Sep 30 – Oct 7, 2015.
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