Friday: my what a windy weekend we have on tap! Welcome, Canadians!

The best snow forecast for Mt. Hood. The best wind forecast for the Gorge.

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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	5-10	10-13	13-16	18-22
Viento	20-23	16-19	18-21	20-23
Swell-Hood River	11-14	11-14	14-17	18-22
Lyle to Doug’s	11-14	7-10	14-17	18-22
Rufus, etc.	TOO	MUCH	CURRENT,	BRO!
Roosevelt & Arlington	NO	WIND	FOR	YOU!

Gorge Wind Forecast

We’ve got at least four days of solid westerlies planned for Victoria Day weekend. The only caveat is a chance of thunder in the afternoon through Saturday, so you’ll want to carefully choose your time and location. Okay, there are more caveats – river flow is 400kcfs (that’s 2-2.5x mid-summer levels), and it’s going to be very windy. Keep your buddies in sight, and consider using safety gear.

Friday kicks off with pressures of 30.09/29.98/29.98 for gradients of 0.11 and 0.00. That’s enough for morning westerlies at 14-17 from Viento to Doug’s with Viento overperforming (or reading high) with mid 20’s. Models suggest the wind will drop to 11-14 (thanks to metro area heating) and concentrate from Stevenson to Hood River late morning before rising to 19-23 from Stevenson to Avery after 2pm. The executive session looks good, yet again! With significant atmospheric instability and a chance of thunder, the wind could be inconsistent and extra gusty. River flow readings yesterday were 407-416kcfs, river temp is 56F, and high temp forecast is 91F.

Peak desert heat occurs on Saturday afternoon. Combine that with offshore high pressure and marine air in Portland for a big day on the river. Also keep an eye out for afternoon thunder, especially along the Cascade crest and to the east. Dawn Patrol arrives with 22-26 from Viento to Mosier with 10-13 to The Dalles and light wind to the east. Stevenson likely starts at 5-10. We’ll see a slow and steady build (allowing you to pick your wind speed) into the afternoon. With the caveat that thunderstorms are unpredictable and could result in a downturn in wind strength/quality…. We should see 28-32 from Stevenson to The Dalles with 23-26 near Rufus (too much current) and 18-22+ at Arlington (really significant atmospheric instability out there). High temp forecast is 84F for Hood River and 92F in the desert.

A very strong marine push and cold front on Sunday morning sends high clouds overhead and pushes low clouds as far east as Hood River. Dawn Patrol location is inexact, but we’ll see 26-30 from approximately Viento to The Dalles. Mosier is likely to be the nuking spot early. East of The Dalles, the day starts with 23-26. After this front swings through mid-morning, the atmosphere stabilizes in the west and destabilizes way out east. Models suggest 30-35mph from Stevenson to Arlington with 22-26 at Threemile. Again, thunderstorms are possible way out east in the desert, probably east of Arlington. Do keep that in mind as you’re considering your game plan. Also keep Amayah’s Indian food cart (Biggs) in mind if you’re driving east. It’s spectacular. High temp Sunday: 74F for Hood River and 82F out in the desert.

Westerlies continue at 24-28 or so on Monday and fall into the teens (probably) on Tuesday. Wait. I just looked at the ensembles. There’s a good chance we’ll exceed that 24-28 on Monday. After that, things are less certain. Hopefully you’ll be satiated for at least a few days after this weekend’s wind!

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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. Friday: NNW15-20/NNW15-20/N25-30, SW swell 3′ @ 16 seconds. Saturday: NNW10-15/15-20/30-35, W 3′ @ 9. Sunday: 15-20/15-20/30-40+, W 3′ @ 10. Jones Friday: 25-29. Saturday: 24-28. Sunday: 21-24. Sauvie Island: well, the model I use is broken this morning, but thanks to strong onshore flow, we’ll have westerlies at SI over the next few days. Northerlies should return on Tuesday.

Mt. Hood Snow Forecast

On vacation until fall unless something extraordinary happens.

Hood River Weather Forecast

Scattered convective debris this morning probably increases this afternoon. Chance of thunder. Temps will be near 60 early and near 90 later. Moderate westerlies. 1% chance of rainbows with the slight chance of thunder. Saturday starts partly cloudy and adds a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Temps will be in the upper 50’s early and mid 80’s later. Strong to very strong westerlies. 1% chance of rainbows. Sunday starts high overcast and turns clear. Temps will be in the mid 50’s early and mid 70’s (open windows all day long!) later. Strong to nuking westerlies. No rainbows.* There’s a chance of severe thunderstorms way out east in the Blues or near John Day. Consider chasing if that’s your thing.

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.