Forecast - The Gorge is my Gym

The Clymb: free membership. Cheap gear. Temira approves. Click to join.

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

It’s another lovely Indian Summer day, and last night’s west wind has cleared the smoke from the Gorge. I was road biking on Larch Mountain yesterday (the Larch Mountain in Oregon, not the Larch Mountain in Washington with the mountain biking trails), and it was really smoky. Oh what a difference a day makes.

There are a couple of weak cold fronts moving across the PNW today, and that’s making it windy. With the cloud line somewhere west of Hood River, Hood River will be the spot for strongest wind today, with a caveat: this is frontally driven wind, so it’s going to be gusty, and I suspect that the strongest wind this afternoon will shift to Stevenson, as the central Gorge gets really gusty.

That said, we have a .15 gradient as I write this report. That’s going to be good enough for a quick build to 27-30 at Swell and Mosier this morning, with 21-24+ in Hood River. Come afternoon, we’ll see 26-29 at Stevenson, with gusty 24-28 near Hood River and the Doug’s/Rowena stretch.

The wind situation gets really interesting this evening, at temps in the desert plummet and high pressure builds in over eastern Oregon. We’ll see easterlies at 30-40+ tomorrow, with the strongest wind from 10am-1pm at Rooster and Stevenson. Yes, this would be a good day for the Home Valley downwinder, assuming you have small enough gear.

Easterlies continue in the 25-29 range through Friday.

The only thing I have on my calendar for this weekend (suggestions, please), is the supported road ride between Oak Ridge and Blue River, supposedly super beautiful, but affected to an unknown level by smoke from wildfires.

Speaking of wildfires, the easterlies will come with humidity in the 10% range, so be very careful with fire over the next few days. Also, there’s a decent chance of frost both tonight and tomorrow night, so protect your sensitive plants.

Have an awesome day today!

Temira

The Clymb: free membership. Cheap gear. Temira approves. Click to join.

We’re going to see a fairly light wind day in the Gorge today. Westerlies at 13-15 this morning will fade by midday and switch to light east wind this evening. With light wind and less smoke drifting around the valley, it’s a great day for a bike ride.

However, please note the following message from your friends at Oregon State Parks: “The HCRH State Trail is closed to public and media access from the Hood River and Mosier Trailheads due to active fire supression efforts and hazardous rockfall and treefall issues. For your safety and the safety of the fire supression teams please avoid using the HCRH State Trail until it is posted open by Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and Oregon Department of Forestry. As of 9/29/12 The Hood River Fire located east of Hood River and south of I-84 reported by the unified fire command as being 100% contained (perimeter lines are holding) and 40% under control on the interior. Rocks and trees are coming down onto the HCRH State Trail from the South, and mop up work is still being done by Oregon Department of Forestry, United States Forest Service; W’East and Mosier Fire Departments. Oregon Parks and Recreation Department will assess trail conditions when the fire mop up is 100% complete. Fire updates can be found on the Oregon Department of Forestry Website.”

In wind news tomorrow, we’ll see east wind at 15-18 or so, fading. Then on Tuesday, a weak, dry cold front swings across the Cascades, giving us westerlies at 25-29+. Any big west wind day at this point is bonus, so make plans to get on the water. On Wednesday, strong high pressure inland, giving us easterlies at 28-32. Bit east wind days at this point are not bonus material. They are the norm, but it’s still worth getting out. At this point, it looks like the easterlies will stick around through the end of the week, and there’s still no rain in sight.

Tomorrow’s the first day of October, and that means it’s the start of the annual Eco-Challenge, brought to you by the Northwest Earth Institute. Pick just one thing, maybe driving less or riding a bike more, or recycling everything, and do it for just two weeks to make the earth a better, healthier place for everyone.

So, yesterday I said the Crossfit throwdown and BBQ was Saturday at the Marina. I meant Sunday. It’s today. So now you have something to do today.

Have an awesome day today!

Temira