The Gorge is my Gym

Good morning!

This week’s forecast is brought to you by the Sandbar Café, located at the east end of the Event Site, and open daily during the summer from 11am to 7pm. It’s going to be windy today, and you’re going to be kiting down there or slalom sailing, so wander by and say hi to kitchen maestro and musician, Crazy Pete. The Event Site is a great place to watch the sunset, so grab a friend, and head to the Sandbar Café this evening for $2.50 tall boys and a beautiful sunset. Sandbar Café has donated 5 fish taco and Tall Boy combos for this week’s email list giveaway. Score, and thank you to the Sandbar!

West winds keep blowing today. The early gradient was .09, and the wind was blowing in the teens at the Sandbar at 5am. We’ll see 17-21 this morning from Stevenson to Hood River, probably fading midday as Portland heats up, and building again in the late evening.

Thicker marine clouds tomorrow combine with high pressure at the coast for more wind. The Hatchery should see low twenties dawn patrol, building into the mid twenties by mid-morning tomorrow. Models suggest the wind will fill in all the way from Stevenson to Arlington late in the day, in the 24-28 range, as a weather disturbance crosses the Cascades. The only possible problem tomorrow would be afternoon thunderstorms that could shut down the wind.

At this point, Friday looks windier than Thursday, and the long range models suggest west wind all the way through the weekend.

Coming up tonight, there are sailboat races out of the Hood River Marina. Show up at the dock at 5:30 with baked goods or a six-pack, and you’ll likely find a boat willing to take you. Also at 5:30, at the Husum put-in on the White Salmon River, it’s the Kayak Shed’s shop paddle, followed by dinner and drinks in Bingen.

Speaking of boating, the white Salmon’s right around 2 1/2 feet right now.

Don’t forget about the meteor shower tonight and the Hood River County Fair going on through Sunday at the fairgrounds in Odell.

Finally, ATVers and dirt bikers, Hood River County just went to Level 3 fire alert, so all trails in Hood River County are now closed to motorized use.

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. This week it’s fish tacos and tall boys for 5 people, donated by the Sandbar Cafe. Thank you for using this report, and thank you for your support!

Good morning!

This week’s forecast is brought to you by the Sandbar Café, located at the east end of the Event Site, and open daily during the summer from 11am to 7pm. You’re going to be on the water today, and lots of you will be at the Event Site or the Sandbar. When you get hungry, and you will, head over to the Sandbar Café for some food. Even if you’re not planning on sailing there, go check it out. I’ve been down at the Event Site the last couple of evenings, and it’s a really nice place to watch the sunset and enjoy the warm evening breeze. The $2.50 tall boys at the Sandbar seal the deal. Go check it out this evening. Sandbar Café has donated 5 fish taco and Tall Boy combos for this week’s email list giveaway. Score!

The overall weather setup looks good for west winds this week. Marine clouds are pushing in from the coast this morning, and although coverage isn’t very deep, there’s a .11 gradient from Portland to The Dalles this morning. That’s enough to start things off in the 16-19 range near Hood River this morning. By midday, the wind picks up into the 23-26 range from Stevenson to the Sandbar, fading a bit in the afternoon as Portland heats up. There is some convective debris left from yesterday, so keep an eye out for wind-killing thunderstorms this afternoon and evening.

The marine layer deepens tomorrow and combines with a weather disturbance crossing the Cascades in the afternoon for stronger winds. Tomorrow starts off with 20-23 from Hood River to Mosier, filling in to 24-27 at from Stevenson all the way to Arlington in the afternoon. The most likely result of the passing system is that the wind will get very gusty at the Hatchery in the afternoon, requiring you to drive to Stevenson or way out east for steadier wind. Driving to Maryhill isn’t a bad thing, as there are ripe peaches to pick.

Thursday looks like a repeat of Wednesday, possibly even a stronger day, as a deep marine layer fills in from the coast in the wake of the passing system.

Coming up tonight, there’s the Tuesday night triathlon in Hood River. Show up at the east end of the Event Site at 6pm for a 500 yard swim, 8 mile bike and 2 mile run. This isn’t a race, just a workout, so anyone is welcome to join.

And later tonight, peaking around midnight, is the Southern Delta Aquarids meteor shower. Look east to the constellation Aquarius for up to 20 meteors per hour both tonight and the next couple of nights. If you’re waiting for more meteors, you have just two weeks to wait until the fabulous Perseids!

Have an awesome day!

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. This week it’s fish tacos and tall boys for 5 people, donated by the Sandbar Cafe. Thank you for using this report, and thank you for your support!