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First thing today, I’d like to say thank you to all of you who donated during August pledge drive month. There was never a day where I didn’t post a forecast, because every day someone donated. Thank you to all of you both for using this forecast and for supporting it! Remember that although it’s free for you to use, it’s not free for me. I put a lot of time into giving you an accurate forecast, and I pay for the hosting on this website. If you find it valuable, please take the time to make a donation to support what I do. Your generosity helps keep this going for everyone. I also send an email version of this forecast. Make a $12 or larger donation, and you’re on the email list for a year. No more dealing with the twice-yearly pledge drive, and you’ll also have a chance to win prizes from the sponsors. Thank you again for your support!

This week’s sponsor is Dirt Hugger, offering curbside food waste collection service for your business, school, office, store, restaurant or hospital in Hood River and The Dalles. All that food waste becomes awesome compost for your garden, yard, farm or vineyard. You can pick up that compost or have it delivered. If we as a society can’t make composting happen through our cities and counties, at least we can make it happen through a cool local business. This is one of my favorite businesses in the Gorge. Support them, please

We’re going to see west wind today in the Gorge and cooler temperatures, but with high pressure in Idaho, the wind can’t get super strong. That said, we do have a .09 gradient this morning and wind in the upper teens. This morning looks nice, with steady west wind at 19-23 near Hood River. This afternoon, however, a low pressure system approaches, and although that will spread the wind out from Stevenson down to Rowena, it will also make it gusty and holey. And it will make it windy in the upper valleys, a fact you road cyclists might find helpful.

Of note is the fact that after today, you won’t see west wind for a long, long time, so you should definitely take advantage of the westerlies today.

Right now models are suggesting light west wind switching to light east wind on Sunday, but with high pressure off the coast and low pressure in the desert, the common sense call is for west wind of some sort all day on Sunday, so I’m going against the models and just calling for very light westerlies, possibly switching to very light easterlies after noon.

Coming up Monday, Indian Summer goes into full swing, with a big ridge over the PNW giving us highs in the 80’s and light wind for the extended forecast.

If you want to ride bikes today, you’ve got a chance to try the latest and greatest from Kona Bikes for free. Join Dirty Fingers and the Kona rep at Family Man from 10-4. See ya there. Trying bikes is fun!

Also today and tomorrow, you can race cyclocross or just cheer on the spectators at the course in Cascade Locks. Racing runs from 9 to 4 or so both days, so swing by for a bit and give the riders some love.

Coming up next weekend, Dirty Fingers has their annual customer appreciation party and mountain bike riding campout. If you’d like to get in on the fun, and it will be fun, give the shop a call for details. Also next weekend, it’s the Echelon Gran Fondo, named, by Bicycling mag, “The best Fall fondo.”

Have an awesome day today!

Temira