Category: Forecast

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

Before you read on, please remember that this report (wind, snow and events, year round, almost every day – WOW!) is brought to you free of charge. It’s my hobby, but it’s valuable to you, and I put it out here free so you can make the most of your free time. But there are five times as many people using the forecast for free as there are making donations. We all know windsurfers and kiters and skiers can make a small donation to keep a good thing going. So we’re trying something through Labor Day. You can get this forecast as an email for $12. That gets you in the running for a few prizes here and there, and from now on it’ll give you consistency (on the 98% of days I write a forecast. Admit it, that’s pretty amazing for one chick working by herself!). Here’s the scoop: If I get donations totaling $15 or more on a given day, I’ll post a forecast the next day. If not, only the people on the mailing list get the forecast. Thanks for understanding that I have to make a living, and thank you for your support!

Tomorrow’s forecast status: Thank you, D.P.! – 7:30am

I’m going to quote from NOAA now: “THE HOTTEST WEATHER OF THE YEAR SO FAR LIKELY OVER MUCH OF SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON AND NORTHWEST OREGON THIS WEEKEND. PEOPLE WHO DO STRENUOUS EXERCISE SHOULD BE EXTRA CAREFUL DURING THIS UPCOMING HOT PERIOD. DRINK PLENTY OF CLEAR FLUIDS…AND AVOID
EXERCISE DURING THE HEAT OF THE DAY.”

That’s nice, isn’t it? You know they’re required to write in caps and are not allowed to use commas? Really. In between now and Saturday and Sunday, when it’s going to be 95 degrees here, get yourself a nice swimsuit and floaty toy and make plans to spend some time in the river. And… what they really meant to say was, “THE HOTTEST WEATHER OF THE YEAR SO FAR LIKELY THIS WEEKEND. YOUR TOMATOES WILL FINALLY RIPEN.”

Today is a day for playing in the river a different way – no pool floaty needed. Deep clouds in Portland and sunshine out here (well, I woke up at 4:45, so it wasn’t sunny when I wrote this report) mean we’ll see strong wind on the river. The gradient is .13 PDX-DLS and another .07 out east, which bodes for a very strong day. 21-24 starts the day near Hood River and Mosier, with the wind picking up to 26-30+ midday and filling in to Stevenson, Doug’s, Rowena and Maryhill this afternoon.

The latest model runs show high pressure building in faster and faster tomorrow. So, now I think we’ll see 10-15 west overnight, going glassy by mid-morning and switching to east 13-15 by noon.

Saturday is the Bridge of the Gods amateur event, and they’ll get east wind at 15-18. Sunday looks hot and calm until late afternoon, when a light west breeze picks up. For those of you desperate to cool off on Sunday, it looks like Jones Beach might provide a bit of a cool breeze.

In other events, Sportbike Northwest continues in Stevenson this week for all you motorcycle riders, How to Train Your Dragon plays at Cascade Locks Movies in the Park Friday, and Secretariat, with a visit from Secretariat the horse at 5:30pm, plays at Hood River Movies in the park Saturday.

Have an awesome day today!

Temira

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

Before you read on, please remember that this report (wind, snow and events, year round, almost every day – WOW!) is brought to you free of charge. It’s my hobby, but it’s valuable to you, and I put it out here free so you have more fun and waste less gas. But there are five times as many people using it for free as there are making donations. We all know windsurfers and kiters and skiers can make a small donation to keep a good thing going. So we’re trying something through Labor Day. It’s a fun game! I offer this forecast as an email subscription for a minimum $12 yearly donation. That gets you in the running for a few prizes here and there, and from now on it’ll give you consistency. Here’s the scoop: If I get donations totaling $15 or more on a given day, I’ll post a forecast the next day. If not, only the people on the mailing list get the forecast. So, let’s see what happens, and thank you for your support!

Tomorrow’s forecast status:

Wow. Thanks, M.D. 7:38am. Thank you for making a donation!

I do have some nice business sponsors who give away prizes for my email recipients, people who’ve donated. This week’s is Celilo Inn. When you’re visiting The Gorge, you need a place to stay. Hood River’s a little short on hotel rooms and vacation rentals, as you may have noticed. There’s another option: The Dalles, up-and-coming with yummy food and fun bars with a we-live-here-not-just-vacation-here vibe. Where do you stay? Celilo Inn on the east hill above town, with spectacular views of the river and the dam and locks. Suite rooms with views of the Columbia. Big pillow-top mattresses. A pool. A fire pit. A mini gym. Adventure packages with whitewater rafting and wine tours. And it’s not just for tourists: Celilo Inn can give you locals an escape from the crazy summer bustle of Hood River. We’re giving away a couple of nights to people who’ve donated $12 or more. See… another reason to support this report.

Okay, first of all, it’s August 1st, and I only have a few ripe tomatoes. That means it’s been a very slow start to the summer, heat-wise.

On to the wind forecast: The clouds are west of my house this morning, and the gradient is at .11 to start, so that means it’s a Corridor day. Also, there are no weather systems moving through, so the wind should be pretty steady. We’ll start with 19-23 near Hood River this morning, picking up to 23-36 and holding pretty much all day long, and filling in to Stevenson, Mosier and Doug’s in the afternoon.

Tomorrow sees a stronger marine push into Portland, so assuming the clouds stay west of Hood River, we should see stronger wind. One problem tomorrow is a weak weather system moving overhead early in the morning, so you may find steadier wind both before the system moves through and after. Watch the sky for high clouds to determine the timing. You can expect 23-26 to start from Hood River to Mosier, picking up to 24-28 midday and filling in to Doug’s, Rowena and Maryhill in the afternoon.

Friday starts with west wind at 13-15 or maybe a little less. Models say it’ll die early, but I think we’ll see light west wind through late afternoon. Saturday brings light east wind, and Sunday starts off light, switching to west 17-20 late in the day.

Tonight is family night at the Family Man bike Park in Post Canyon. Grab your kids and their bikes and meet up there at 5:30 for kid-friendly riding on the beginning stunts in Family Man. Matt Klee and Snap-On Todd and the rest of the Hood River Area Trail Stewards have been up there putting in all sorts of cool new features, so head up there, even if you’re only a kid at heart, and check it out. I think that advice goes for me too, because I haven’t seen Matt’s handiwork, but I hear it’s cool!

Also in bike news tonight, the girls of the Post and Pinot ride from Dirty Fingers at 5:30. Despite the Post Canyon logging scene, they’re making it happen. On the water, there’s the Kayak Shed’s shop paddle and the sailboat races from the Hood River Marina, with plenty of wind.

Going on all day today through Sunday, it’s Sportbike Northwest, with all things motorcycle going on in Stevenson.

Have an awesome day today!

Temira