Thursday: My what a windy, Canadian-filled weekend we have planned!

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The Forecast

Your favorite beach	Dawn Patrol	9am- 11:30a	11:30a- 3pm	3pm- dusk
Today’s Gorge Wind – these are ranges for the average speed, not a predicted wind range. =)
Rooster Rock	hot	sticky	suntan	buns
Steven’s Locks	calm	calm	11-14	17-21
Viento	calm	calm	11-14	17-21+
Swell-Hood River	calm	calm	11-14	17-21+
Lyle to Doug’s	calm	calm	11-14	17-21+
Rufus, etc.	NO	WIND	FOR	YOU!
Roosevelt & Arlington	NO	WIND	FOR	YOU!

Gorge Wind Forecast

It’s going to be quite the weekend on the river. Giant wind, giant current, giant thunderstorms way out east… giant orders of Indian food from Amayah’s food cart at Biggs on the way to Arlington. What more could you want? A couple days of warmup wind? You got it! Know what else you get? A Canadian holiday. It’s Victoria Day Weekend! Welcome, Canucks. Please bring Cheezies!!!

Say hello to Thursday. It’s dead calm and glassy out there right now (it’s 7:18am), but that won’t last. As desert heat ramps up and forms a heat low this afternoon, high pressure starts to build along the coast. Wind will be lackluster until early to mid-afternoon; maybe we’ll have 11-14 from Stevenson to Lyle. Wait for the executive session for blowdryer (scratch that – too muggy) westerlies at 17-21+ from Stevenson to Lyle. Definition of “executive session” is 5pm onward. River flow is 398-420kcfs, river temp is 56F, and high temp forecast is 89F.

Things get interesting on Friday as atmospheric instability really ramps up in the afternoon. Prior to the hottest part of the day, you’ll get your westerlies. The day starts with 18-22 from Stevenson to Viento. By early afternoon, you’ll have 21-24 from Stevenson to Lyle. Jump on it, cuz who knows what the instability will do in the late afternoon and evening. High temp: 89F and muggy. I’m working. Sad.

Hopefully you have a very small kite, wing, or sail for the weekend. You’ll need it. Safety gear is also a good idea. I don’t know about you, but I’m not in windsurfing or winging shape right now. Take this into account. Well, take your fitness into account. Not mine. That’s my problem! Consider a PFD. Keep an eye on your buddies. Consider your choices carefully – there’s way too much current for the Maryhill stretch, and other locations will have strong current too. Why the disclaimer? A giant surge of cool air in the west combines with still-hot (actually, peak heat) out east for a nuker of a day. Get on it. Afternoon instability will be ginormous out in the desert. You’ll probably be best served in the west. Now for the wind… Dawn Patrol kicks off with 25-29 from Stevenson to Mosier and 11-14 to the east. We’ll see a quick build with the desert heating: 30-35 from Stevenson to Avery, 26-30+ near Amayah’s Indian food cart (the location that will be known as Biggs-Rufus-The Wall-Maryhill when the current drops), and 22-25 at Arlington. East of there, the heat low may stifle things. Anywhere east of The Dalles runs the risk of significant thunderstorms in the afternoon. Stay in the west in the more-stable air for best results.

Marine air surges deep inland on Sunday and sets up a massive day. As of right now, all the ensemble members are on board with a very, very, very windy day. Call it 30+ for now. Okay, okay. I actually wrote down 30-40. Where’s my 2.9 windsurf sail? I know it’s around here somewhere! Models are hinting at marine air pushing as far east as Hood River. That may shift you eastward as well. Thanks to the marine air, the atmosphere should stabilize. The desert will be game on. Safety gear is imperative. It does look strong enough for your gear to blow away. Speaking of gear blowing away, there’s a swap meet at Windance on Sunday morning.

We’ll continue with westerlies in the 20’s on Monday, and will probably have wind on Tuesday too. After that, model uncertainty increases and confidence in the forecast plummets. Okay. Hopefully that’s enough wind for you. If you’re coming from BC, please don’t forget the Cheezies for your favorite wind forecaster!

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Jones, Sauvie’s, Coast

Wind speed in knots. Direction Northerly unless otherwise noted for Coast. Westerly for Jones. Northerly for Sauvie Island. North/Central/South, waves. Wave forecast provided by NWS. Thursday: LTNW/LTNW/N10-15, SW swell 3′ at 7 seconds. Friday: NNW15/NNW15/N25, SW 2′ @ 8. Saturday: NNW15/N15-20/30-35, SW 3′ @ 8. (Note, it’ll be NUKING at the south coast through Tuesday). Jones Thursday: 21-24. Friday: 25-28. Saturday: 23-26. Sauvie Island Thursday: 13-16 late (maybe). Friday: 12-15. Saturday: 14-17+.

Mt. Hood Snow Forecast

On vacation until fall unless something extraordinary happens.

Hood River Weather Forecast

Clear sky today is marred by smoke from the wildfires in Canada. Thunderheads join later. Temps will be near 60 early and near 90 later. Muggy. Calm wind early. Moderate westerlies later. No rainbows. Friday will be sunny with a good chance of thunder in the afternoon. Temps start near 60 and rise near 90. Moderate westerlies. No rainbows. Oh, it’ll be muggy. Saturday will be sunny with major instability along the east slopes of the Cascades and the desert. Temps will be near 60 early and in the mid 80’s later. Strong to nuking westerlies. No rainbows. Cooler weather, low 70’s, is forecast for Sunday along with super-nuking westerlies.

Looking for a complete Columbia Gorge forecast? Looking for more humor in your weather? Obscenities? You’re looking for my TATAS: Temira’s Awesome Travel Advisory Service on Facebook.

Local-ish Events

Please let me know of outdoor-related local-ish events. If you don’t tell me, I don’t know! Eldorado has re-opened. Post is clear of snow to the top. The Enduro is this upcoming weekend. Current Post Canyon closures: 140/Blue Car Downhill and connections closed indefinitely. On weekdays, Upper GP, Lower GP, and the top of Baby GP are closed through approximately May 17th. Chorus, and FMS are currently closed and will reopen approximately May 11. Do not violate these closures. Post Canyon is a tree farm, and we ride there at the grace of Hood River County. Thank you!

Regular weekly events: NK Studios in Bingen has a donation-based yoga class at 7:30am every Tuesday. Ferment’s Tuesday night 4-mile walk/run is at 6pm. There’s meditation with monks at 5:15pm (an hour) and 6:30pm (30 minutes plus a talk) at Yoga Samadhi in White Salmon. At 7:15am on Wednesdays, there’s a run from the White Salmon Bakery. At 7am on Friday morning, there’s a run from Pine Street Bakery. On Fridays at 2:30pm, there’s a free meditation and stretching class at Yoga Samadhi. On Saturday at 9am, there’s a by-donation outdoor group fitness on the 2rd floor deck about Ferment Brewing.

Regular bike rides (thanks to the Hood River Area Trail Stewards for collecting). Tuesday is Mountain View’s ride. Meet at 5:45pm on Post Canyon Drive where the pavement ends. Wednesday is the Evo/Kickstand all-ability, no-drop Post Canyon ride. 5:30 from the shop or join along the way. All abilities welcome. Thursday is Mountain View’s women’s ride. 5:30pm, Seven Streams Trailhead. No drop. Thursday is also the Dirty Fingers Post and Pint. 5:30 from the shop or later at Family Man. This is hardcore, race-pace. Saturday morning is the Mountain View road/gravel ride. Two hours. 12-14mph average speed. Starting May 6th, Oregon Ebikes has the women’s ride at 8:30am. Meet at Seven Streams parking lot for a 1.5 to 2 hour ride.

Cycling

Eldorado has re-opened. Post is clear of snow to the top. The Enduro is this upcoming weekend. Current Post Canyon closures: 140/Blue Car Downhill and connections closed indefinitely. On weekdays, Upper GP, Lower GP, and the top of Baby GP are closed through approximately May 17th. Chorus, and FMS are currently closed and will reopen approximately May 11. Do not violate these closures. Post Canyon is a tree farm, and we ride there at the grace of Hood River County. Thank you!

Post is snow-free at least to the top of Borderline. Cows are in on Hospital Hill. That means dogs are no longer allowed. Even if your dog is cool. Even if you’re a local. Even if … you get the picture! Hospital Hill is private land. Please respect the wishes of the landowners – they’re generous enough to let folks use that land, and dogs have been shot there before. Please don’t ride muddy trails, or you’ll do permanent damage. Always remember to consider gravel riding! If you’re parking at Post Canyon, you will need a parking pass. Those can be purchased at many local shops or online.

Valuable Advice for Gardeners Inhabiting Neighboring Areas

In other news, specifically in Valuable Advice for Gardeners Inhabiting Neighboring Areas… it’s 52 days until July 4th. Get your corn seed in the ground so it’s knee high by then. Remember that corn is a very heavy feeder. Give it some nitrogen love (but not too much). Test your soil, yo. Mine has like zero N’s and lots of P’s and K’s. Yours might be the same, or it might be different, and these ratios affect what fertilizer you should use. Corn, like you, also needs micronutrients, especially calcium and magnesium. Corn, like you (probably), likes companionship. Classic: beans and squash. Also: melons and cukes. White clover. You’re kinda using these as living mulch to keep the soil around your corn from drying out. As always, toss in some marigolds and nasturtiums for beneficial insects. Corn. Really? We’re planting corn right now? Isn’t it supposed to be cool and wet? Happy gardening. Safe travels.