Although the models were predicting very strong wind for this morning, we only had moderate wind in the teens in most places at 7am. That’s despite strong gradients of .09 (pdx-dls) and .11 (dls-psc). With gradients like that, we should be seeing mid to upper 20’s on the river, but that just wasn’t the case this morning. Don’t get too worried about this, because building Pacific high pressure and desert heat will increase our gradients and wind speeds. If you are in the Corridor (Viento to Hood River) today, please be aware that there is a huge downwind paddle race that leaves Home Valley at noon. Keep your eyes peeled for surfskis, SUPs and outriggers approaching from upwind. Continued after the chart…
| Your favorite beach | Dawn Patrol |
9am- 11:30a |
11:30a- 3pm |
3pm- dusk |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rooster Rock | beach | volleyball | with | buns | |
| Steven’s Locks | 0-10 | 10-13 | 14-17 | 20-23 | |
| Hatchery/White Salmon Sandbar (minus a few for Hood River) | 14-17 | 14-17 | 23-26? | 23-26? | |
| Doug’s, Lyle, Rowena | 10-13 | 20-23 | 26-30 | 26-30 | |
| Rufus, etc. | 14-17 | 20-23 | 26-30 | 26-30 | |
| Roosevelt, etc. | 20-23 | 20-23 | 26-30 | 26-30 | |
|
|||||
Gorge wind forecast, continued…
Given the lack of agreement between the models and reality this morning, I’m going to have to completely wing the forecast. I suspect we’ll see a quick build to 22-25 east of the low clouds as the desert heats. Under the clouds, you can expect 14-17. By early afternoon, the building offshore high and desert sunshine should combine to give us 26-30 from Mosier to Arlington. Your best chance of success today will probably be anywhere between Mosier and Rufus. If the clouds dissipate from the Hood River area, we’ll see strong wind from Swell to Bingen too.
2016 Summer Pledge Drive!
Support your forecaster, Temira!
Help pay her grad school bills!
Thank you for using this forecast. Does it save you time, gas money, or help you have more fun in your life? Make a donation! Get your forecast here for free or donate and get on the mailing list for year-round wind forecasts and ski season snow forecasts. Click on my photo to donate via PayPal or credit card. The email isn’t $99/year. Not $50/year. No, just $12.34 or more gets you on the list for 12 months. Don’t PayPal? Send a check to Temira @ PO Box 841 in Hood River. Thank you for your support (and for helping me pay grad school bills), and thank you for trusting my forecast.
High pressure continues to strengthen tomorrow, cutting down the gradients a bit. It’ll still be windy – expect 18-21 from Viento to Mosier right off the bat. The rest of the day is a bit of a tricky call. I suspect reality will beat the models. That gives us a forecast of 22-25 by late morning from Viento to Mosier, filling in from Stevenson to Doug’s (actually, the Rowena stretch is a big maybe tomorrow) in the afternoon.
Sunday’s forecast currently suggests 10-13 in the morning and light easterlies in the afternoon. This is one of those setups where really anything could happen. The 10-13 could stick around all day or we could have glassy conditions later. With a forecast of 82 degrees for Portland and 87 degrees for Hood River, I’m leaning towards an all-day 10-13 forecast. Monday looks like it’ll max out around 22-25.
Big Winds SUP Club
Show up and go paddling. No car racks. No hassle. Access 100-plus boards at the Event Site all summer long. With the Big Winds SUP Club, members get multi-use passes to the Big SUP Center, home to North America’s largest fleet of SUPs. A ten session pass starts at $149, includes a lesson, and use of a paddle, PFD and leash, as well as exclusive discounts at Big Winds.
Jones, Sauvie’s, Coast Beta Test Forecast
Jones Friday: 5-10. Jones Saturday: 13-16. Jones Sunday 13-16. Sauvie’s Friday: 10-13 late. Sauvie’s Saturday: 10-13. Sauvie’s Sunday: 13-16. Coast (north/central/south). Friday: no/10-15/25-30, W swell 3′ at 8 seconds. Saturday: 15-20/20-30/30+, NW 2′ @ 8. Sunday: 20-25/25-30/30+, NW 2′ @ 11.
Mt. Hood Snow Forecast
There will be snow on the ground at Mt. Hood today, and every day until the glaciers completely melt away.
Random Morning Thoughts
The Republican convention over the last few days has provided a lot of food for thought. I won’t get into it now, but there was certainly a lot of talk about race relations at the convention. This brings up something for me – every so often I hear people say, “Hood River is so white,” or “Portland is so white.”
It can appear that way if you limit yourself to a small social circle. I’ve sometimes thought the same thing because I hang out downtown, shop at Rosauers, and spend my time doing expensive extreme sports like mountain biking and windsurfing.
Guess what? Hood River is 35% Latino/a/x. Yup. It’s not all that white at all, and neither is Portland. But when we say that our towns are “so white”, we invalidate the non-white people around us. We marginalize them even more than their darker skin marginalizes them. We make non-white people invisible when we claim our towns are “so white”.
If you’re thinking your town is lacking in variety, it might just be time to change up your social or shopping routine. Because seeing the diversity around you and interacting with people unlike you is a great way to open up your mind. As an added bonus, the next time someone says something marginalizing or downright bigoted about someone, you might be inspired to speak up. People are awesome. Have an awesome day!
Disclaimer required by my grad school program: I am not your therapist (but I could be in 700 days). I am your weather forecaster. Take everything I say with a grain of salt, and consult with your actual therapist about your mental health issues. One other thing: I plan to keep doing this forecast indefinitely, even when I am a therapist.
Gorge Weather Forecast
It’s cloudy in Hood River this morning as the marine clouds have made it all the way past the Cascade Crest. Expect the clouds to break up later, leaving us under mostly sunny sky. Temps will be in the low 60’s early and the mid 70’s this afternoon. Light wind early, strong wind later. 1% chance of rainbows (we hit 100% chance last night).
Saturday looks sunny. Temps will be in the upper 50’s early and the low 80’s in the afternoon. Moderate wind. No rainbows. Sunday looks sunny with temps in the upper 50’s early and the upper 80’s in the afternoon. Light wind. No rainbows.
For weather specifically directed at travel through the Gorge, please visit Temira’s Awesome Travel Advisory Service on Facebook.
White Sprinter Van of the Day
Road and Mountain Biking
Not much to say other than that there are apparently still trees down on Boulder Lakes and someone cleared Huffman Peak. The wind will ramp up this afternoon, so be prepared for that if you’re on a road bike.
Upcoming Events
Events today include the weekly Kickstand Coffee Run at 7, where you jog 4 miles and get a cup of coffee and a donut. Today’s also the Gorge Downwind Champs paddle race from Home Valley to Hood River, so be on the lookout for boats if you’re on the river. If you’re in Cascade Locks, check out the Laser North American Championships sailboat race.
Tomorrow’s a busy Saturday, with Northwest Trails Alliance hosting a weekend campout and trail building party at Falls Creek. There’s a Gorge Cup Windsurfing Race in Hood River tomorrow, a just-for-fun race with the Gorge Downwind Champs, Movies in the Park Hood River with Inside Out showing, and a kiteboarding safety lecture at the Event Site in the evening.
Have an awesome day today!
Temira
