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Forecast

8/20 forecast

Good morning!

This week’s report is brought to you by Columbia Gorge Windsurfing Association. It’s PSA week, so no prizes, but CGWA is putting on a CPR class on Saturday (two start times), so make plans to sail or kite half the day and get your CPR certification the other half. Call Katie at 386-9225 for more information. Why should you join CGWA? Because they worked hard to keep Doug’s open for you, and because they spent a lot of money to put in launch ramps at Jensen Beach and the Waterfront park, saving you the $50 Event Site pass fee. So, consider joining CGWA for $25 by clicking here.

Some people are blessed with good luck. Ken K. signed up for the email three days ago, and he’s the lucky winner of the Gath helmet of his choice. There’s no prize from CGWA (duh – you’re supposed to join!), but I am giving away fresh-baked brownies this week… If you’d like a chance to win, subscribe to the email (or just donate) by clicking at the bottom of this page. .

It’s going to be another windy day on the river today, but not quite as windy as yesterday’s epic session. The 5am gradient was at .09 from Portland to The Dalles and clouds were stacked up west of Hood River. We’ll see a steady build this morning into the 25-28 range from Viento to Mosier by midday. The wind should hold at the Hatchery until late afternoon before shifting out to Lyle and Doug’s. Wind further east will be in the mid to upper teens today.

If you’re beat up today, swing by Columbia Gorge Community Acupuncture at 208 4th in Hood River for a free acupuncture session between 10am and 3pm. Give a call to 399-3169 for more information or to schedule a time. You know how I love free stuff – it always makes it into the report!

Coming up this weekend, we’ll have more west wind. As an upper trough builds along the coast during the day Saturday, a deep marine push will keep Portland buried in clouds all day long. That should keep westerlies from Hood River to Maryhill, possibly even Arlington, in the upper twenties on Saturday.

On Sunday, that trough shifts east of the Cascades, for another big wind day on the river. It looks like it’s going to be cool and cloudy in the western Gorge Sunday, with a chance of rain, so the strongest, steadiest wind is going to be well east of Hood River.

Off the water on Saturday, there’s a CPR class through CGWA. Give them a call at 386-9225 for more information. Also on Saturday, late in the afternoon, it’s Northwave’s annual customer appreciation barbeque. Show up for a fun evening of food and music. And looking ahead to next weekend, it’s the Bigfoot Bash and Bounty in Home Valley.

Boaters, the White Salmon’s hovering just below 2 feet and the Klickitat’s at 788 cfs. Cross your fingers for some significant rain from the incoming storm. How cool would that be? Coming up on September 11th, there’s a rafting race on the White Salmon River. Details here: http://www.nwrafting.com/white-salmon. If you’d like to volunteer – and it should be quite fun to watch – drop a note to zach@nwrafting.com.

If you’d like to vote on the accuracy of the forecast at the end of today, click here.

Have a great day today!

Temira

p.s. If you find this report useful, entertaining, or just want to recognize all the hard work that goes into it, please take the time to make a donation by clicking on the button at the bottom of the page. For a suggested donation of $10, I’ll add you to the email version of this list ‘til May 2011, putting you in the running for cool prizes donated by the weekly sponsors.

Categories
Forecast

today’s forecast 8/19

Good morning!

This week’s report is brought to you by Gath Helmets. It’s going to be windy today, and you’re probably going to get on the water. It’s a good day for a Gath – they prefer being on your head to being on the shelf in a shop. Don’t have one? Pick one up today and rescue a poor, sad helmet from life on a shop shelf (they’re a lot like cats at the rescue center). Gath helmets are light, comfortable, and low-profile. You’ll barely notice it’s on, until you smack your head and realize you’re still alive. Check out some of the cool styles from Gath here. Get a Gath. One of the email subscribers is going to win a free Gath helmet this week. That’s like getting an extra life. (and if you’re not on the list, subscribe by clicking the donate button below for a suggested $10 donation.)

The west wind is blowing again, and it looks like we’re in for a long windy streak. The 5am gradient from Portland to The Dalles was .13 and although it was difficult to see because it’s dark out at 5:20 now, it appears the marine clouds are west of Hood River. Today’s a static setup, so the wind should be steadier than it was yesterday. We’ll have 25-28 from Hood River to Mosier this morning, filling in at Stevenson by midday and Doug’s later in the afternoon.

It was blowing all the way out to Arlington early this morning, but I think the western Gorge is a better call today. There is a chance the Wall and Rufus will hold in the upper teens to low twenties, so keep that in mind as an option today.

Friday looks windy too, but a low pressure trough along the coast will probably cause winds to back off into the upper teens to low twenties.

Looking ahead to the weekend wind forecast, the marine layer deepens on Saturday as an upper trough sets up along the coast, burying Portland in clouds. As that trough moves east on Sunday, a strong gradient develops across the Gorge, and snow levels fall to 8000 feet, bringing the first dusting of the La Nina snow to Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood!

Coming up tonight, there’s the Post and Pint ride out of Dirty Fingers Bike Repair at 5:30, the Thursday night Tri bonus practice at the east end of the Event Site at 6pm, and there’s a free Crossfit crazy workout meeting at the south side of the Event Site at 5:30.

And coming up tomorrow, just in case you’re really beat up, there’s free acupuncture from 10 to 3 at Columbia Gorge Community Acupuncture in Hood River. Call 399-3169 to schedule, or stop by 208 4th Street.

Boaters, the White Salmon’s just below 2 feet and the Klickitat’s at 795 cfs. Coming up on September 11th, there’s a rafting race on the White Salmon River. Details here: http://www.nwrafting.com/white-salmon

Have a great day today!

Temira

p.s. If you find this report useful, entertaining, or just want to recognize all the hard work that goes into it, please take the time to make a donation by clicking on the button at the bottom of the page. For a suggested donation of $10, I’ll add you to the email version of this list ‘til May 2011, putting you in the running for cool prizes donated by the weekly sponsors.