Categories
Forecast

Thursday: increasing wind, decreasing smoke!


Thank you for using this forecast. I offer it freely so you can have more fun and plan your life. It does take significant time and energy to produce. If you find yourself using it often, or if you feel your life is more awesome because of my work, please make a donation. You can get this forecast via email by donation. The email subscription isn’t $99/year. Not $50/year. Donating $12.34 or more gets you on the list for 12 months. Thank you for your support and thank you for trusting my forecast.

Click here to donate using a credit card.
Click here to donate via PayPal.
Venmo: @theGorgeismyGym
Snail Mail: PO Box 841, Hood River, Oregon 97031

Get the email version free through the end of August – try it out! Click here.
 

Today’s Gorge Wind – these are ranges for the average speed, not a predicted wind range. =)
Your favorite beach Dawn
Patrol
9am-
11:30a
11:30a-
3pm
3pm-
dusk
Rooster Rock cool day for naked picnic.
Steven’s Locks 10-15 15-20 24-27 24-27
Hatchery/Wunderbar 21-24 24-27 27-31 20-24
Doug’s, Lyle, Rowena 15-18 20-24 27-31 27-31
Rufus, etc. 15-18 20-24 27-31 27-31
Roosevelt & Arlington 15-18 15-18 18-22 22-25

Gorge Wind Forecast


I’m looking out my window, and it would appear that the nice clean air forecast for sometime today has not yet arrived. The AQI reading was 164 when I awoke. That’s not good for those of us interested in exercising today. The air should start to clear out as the day goes on, but it’s going to take some time to drain the Pacific Ocean smoke reservoir. We are looking at a windy day, and that will help. Models have been bouncing around on the wind strength and weather for the next few days; still looks windy, just not as windy.

For Thursday, we start with gradients of .15 and .07, a sign that Pretty Much Anywhere will be windy today. That said, we do have a cold front moving through and a trough approaching, which could make the surface-level wind less than the gradients indicate. Even so, we should see 27-31 today from Viento to Rufus with 24-27 near Stevenson. Swell may suffer the most, only having short-lasting wind, as it does when fronts move through. If it’s windy there, jump on it. On the other hand, the approaching trough is something that tends to make for long-lasting wind. So… guess we wait and see which wins out. If you’re interested in Arlington, it’s looking like 22-25 this afternoon, a downgrade from yesterday’s forecast. River flow is 126kcfs and temp is 69 degrees.

Moving on to Friday, we see extensive low clouds in the western half of the state as a trough lines up on the coast and inland. We’ll start the day with 10-13 in the west and 18-22 from Mosier to Arlington. Models agree that Friday tops out around 24-27 from Viento to Rufus. Stevenson’s a question mark due to the fact that the clouds may not dissipate. Let’s call it 14-17. Arlington looks like 5-10 Friday afternoon.

Saturday also starts with widespread low clouds. Morning wind looks relatively light, at 10-13 or so. As the desert heats up, the wind climbs to 24-27 from Stevenson (?) to The Dalles with 19-23 near Rufus. Models disagree on wind strength for Sunday, but the minimum at this point is 22-25. After Sunday, we go into a period of lighter wind.

BONUS: Jones Thursday: 14-17. Friday: X. Saturday: 8-11. Sauvie’s Thursday: 15-28. Friday: 11-14. Saturday: 8-11. Coast (north/central/south). Thursday: 10-15/10-15/20-25, NW swell 4′ at 7 seconds. Friday: 5/5-10/25-20, NW 6′ @ 8. Saturday: X/X/25-20+, NW 5′ @ 7.
 


 

Random Morning Thoughts

Pine Street Bakery hosted a meet n’ greet yesterday with Greg Walden’s challenger. During the question and answer session, we touched upon something I come across in my work: what it’s like to live in poverty. Everyone who is reading this forecast has more resources than many of my clients. A cup of coffee or the bridge toll is out of reach for many of them.

This is problematic for many reasons which I’m going to set aside for now. I do want to touch upon the fact that most of us do not have a visceral sense of what it’s like to live in poverty, to not have jobs available, to not have the money to move to a place with jobs (where rent may be unaffordable), to have an illness (mental or physical) that interferes with the ability to work. When we don’t have a lived sense of this struggle, it leads to us (and politicians) making policies that aren’t realistic.

Let’s take one example: it costs $725 to become a citizen of the USA. While that may seem like small change to some of you, it feels prohibitively expensive to many others. Gathering together that kind of money can take years, and in the process, it might be needed for medical bills, the electric bill, car repairs, etc.

Poverty is a life of prioritization and risk management. Is it better to pay the electric bill or to buy school supplies? Is it worth the risk of driving without insurance so you can afford food?

If we can understand what this is like, we (citizens and politicians) can make decisions and policies that actually work. This is important for our daily lives too, as it allows us to build compassion and understanding for people in situations different than ours. If you’ve got a few minutes, reflect on this a bit. Just for fun. And then wallow in gratitude for what you do have. May your life be filled with abundance. Have an awesome day.
 

Mt. Hood Mountain Weather Forecast

For Thursday, it will be smoky without clouds. Free air freezing level (FAF): 15,000′ dropping to 13,000′ Wind: W 10 early, W 20 later, WNW 20 after midnight. Friday: Clear above low clouds. FAF: 13,000′. Wind: WNW 20 early, NW 10 afternoon, WNW 10 overnight. Saturday: Clear above low clouds. FAF: 13,000′ dropping to 12,000′. Wind: WNW 10 turns to W 10 and stays there from midday on.
 

Gorge Weather Forecast

It would appear that all the smoke over the Pacific is coming back into the Northwest this morning. Perhaps it will clear this afternoon? Anyway, temps for Thursday will be in the low 60’s early and near 80 later. Strong west wind. No rainbows. Friday starts with low clouds and healthier air, hopefully. Temps will be in the upper 50’s early and low 70’s later. Moderate to strong west wind. Slight chance of rain in the western Gorge. 1% chance of rainbows. Saturday looks nice and cool: low 50’s early and low 70’s later. Moderate to strong westerlies. 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 Week



 
Click here for the White Sprinter Van map of the world!!!

Road and Mountain Biking

Trails on private timberland (Hospital Hill, Whoopdee, Underwood, and anything else on Kreps, Stevenson, Weyerhauser, etc.) will remain closed to ALL uses until the end of fire session (significant rainfall). Motorized vehicles, chainsaws, campfires, and smoking are banned from public lands in Oregon and Washington as we are at IFPL 4.

Group bike rides: Triathlon practice Tuesday, 6pm at West Mayer Park. Wednesday: Post n’ Pinot women’s MTB ride at Dirty Finger, 5:30. Families at Family Man: 6pm Wednesday. Thursday: Mountain View Cycles women’s MTB, 5:30, bottom of Post. Post n’ Pint: race-pace coed ride from Dirty Fingers at 5:30. Free pint of beer after. Friday: Mountain View Cycles MTB ride: 5pm (shop? Bottom of post?). Saturday: Mountain View Cycles road ride: 9am at the shop.
 

Upcoming Events

There are lots of community activities today – At 8, there’s a free yoga class at Flow in Hood River and a women’s pumptrack session at Golden Eagle Park.

Cascade Locks has community sailing tonight followed by a BBQ – there are free sailboat rides if you come early. Mountain view Cycles has a shop ride at 5, there’s volleyball for ages 11 and up at the Lyle High School gym at 4, and Dirty Fingers has the race-pace Post n’ Pint ride at 5:30,. At 6 tonight, there’s free yoga at Samadhi in White Salmon and free Tai Chi at Our Savior Church in Bingen. If you want Zumba, there’s that too, for free at 6:30 at Mid-Valley Elementary in Odell.
 

Click here for the full events calendar.

Have an awesome day today!

Temira

By Temira

Temira Lital is a recreation and travel weather forecaster based in Hood River, Oregon. Temira uses they/them pronouns. They're also a mental health counselor. Temira bikes, skis, windsurfs, paddles a SUP, swims in mountain lakes, and loves gardening. Most recently they've taken up SUP foiling. Temira is powered by La Croix, protein, and beets.