Category: Forecast

Good morning everyone!

There’s just enough breeze to keep cool this morning, so head to the Expo Center parking for the CGWA swap meet form 8 til noon. CGWA keeps your beaches open, so if you’re not a member, join while you’re at the swap.

If this is the early morning report, you still have a chance to join the Hood River Tri club for their stealthy swim from the east end of the Hood River Inn Beach to the red bouy in the middle of the Columbia and under the Bridge. So much for stealth, right?

Now, just a quick explanatory note. If I say it’s going to blow 22-24, I’m talking average windspeeds… you know, the reading you see at iWindsurf or WindontheWater.com. You might see gusts into the 30s. You might see gusts into the 40s. I’m not going to guess at the actual wind range (unless I’m going to tell you that it’s going to be gusty and miserable). I’m just telling you the peak average windspeed so you can make your call. (There was a little confusion over this yesterday)

If you’re waiting for wind, you’ll get it today. The light start with the 09 gradient gives way to upper teens by midday, building to 22-24 by afternoon. Best wind will be from Stevenson down to Mosier..

An upper low of the California coast slides closer to Oregon tomorrow (hopefully, but possibly not), sending more marine clouds to the coast and increasing the chance of thunderstorms. The marine deck will start us off with 17-20 tomorrow, and the resulting thermal gradient gives us 22-25 tomorrow afternoon in the corridor. At this point, Tuesday looks like a carbon copy of Monday.

It looks like the heatwave will finally break, resulting in a big day (again, hopefully), sometime Wednesday or Thursday. Cross your fingers. I am ready for a big day, and I bet most of you windsurfers are too (you kiters have probably been having a fabulous time the last 10 days!)

Do keep an eye out for building thunderstorms over the next few day. Those building cumulus clouds will affect wind quality and winds strength.

Now, here’s an early heads up for a free bike maintenance clinic. Mountain View cycles Maintenance Festivus happens Tuesday at 6:30pm. Give the shop a call to sign up.

Whatever you do today, have an awesome day!

It’s another west wind day on the river today! The early gradient was holding at .09 and winds were in the ‘tweens from the Hatchery down to Dougs and Rowena. Westerlies hold in the 18-22 range this morning. Midday heat will beat down the wind, but we’ll see a bit of a ressurgance this afternoon into the 21-24 range (I’m being a bit optimistic here, but given that NOAA just threw that shortwave talk into the mix at 2:34am last night… well… ) as a shortwave approaches the Gorge, assuming thunderstorms don’t kick up.

The cooling breeze holds all night tonight, keeping your house from resembling an oven. Sunday’s wind starts out in the 17-20 range, picking up towards evening, maybe picking up a lot, as an upper low sends marine clouds up the coastal gaps.

That low pressure system crawls toward the coastline tomorrow night, sending marine clouds towards Portland and increasing Monday’s thermal gradient potential. Overnight winds rock the Gorge Sunday night, likely keeping you awake, but more importantly, cooling down your house.

Dawn patrol looks like Monday, with mid-twenties the early call.

On the non-windsport front today, there’s free yoga at Luhr Jensen beach at noon today. Bring your yoga mat. After that, there’s a big party at Double Mountain Brewery from noon til 10 tonight, and the movie King Kong plays at Jackson Park at sunset.

Tomorrow is a CGWA swap meet at the Expo center, and after you’re done with that, say, around 10am, you can head to the Event Site for the final standup paddle race of the year.

Whatever you do today, have an awesome day!