Mt. Hood snow and Gorge wind forecast | The Gorge is my Gym

There’s only one thing to recommend today, and that’s powder skiing on the Timberline glacier. I have no idea if they’ll be able to get the Palmer lift open in the nasty Northwest weather, but there’s a foot of new snow on top of that abused and salted perma-snow.

If you’d like that snow to stick around as base material, start praying to whatever gods you favor. A tropically-fed, downpour-packing front is set to hit on Thursday. With up to 2” of precipitable water available in that system, and snow levels forecast to rise to 8000 feet, you can say bye-bye to today’s snow unless we change the weather. This is a great chance to test the power of group thinking. Think snow!

Now, if you’re into windsurfing or kiting, today is your day. Early gradients were .13/.07/.33. With high pressure off the coast, wind direction should be decent, if you can find someplace out of the clouds and rain. If I had to pick a stop today, I’d pick Doug’s or Maryhill (and I guess it is my job to pick a spot).

Mountain bike fiends are looking at a wide selection of trails today. There’s Syncline and… Syncline. Please give the rest of the trails a little break. They are wet and muddy and your tires will hurt them today. Be kind to the trails, and they will be kind to you.

Coming up this week, there’s the movie Food, Inc., at the Columbia Center for the Arts tomorrow night at 7pm. Be afraid of the grocery store, be very afraid. And coming up on Friday, there’s the High School ski/gear swap, where you can get your Mount Hood meadows pass picture taken (and find a 4×4 buddy, and get a ticket to the MHM/2nd Wind/IPS Hood River Snow Show – you are going to this, because I say so – on November 21st.)

Have a great day today!

It’s the beginning of the week, and it’s the start of a late season round of west winds. We were supposed to have strong westerlies by this morning (all the models show it, and you know they’re always right), but the front isn’t even close to passing. Wait ‘til you see how much rain we get in the next couple of hours! Anyway, after that rain passes and the clouds start breaking up (and the cold air hits), the wind will pick up. When? I’m guessing mid-afternoon, and I’m guessing way out east.

Tomorrow looks windier and steadier, as high pressure off the coast combines with an eastward-moving low pressure trough to fire up strong NW flow over the Northwest. I think 26-30 is a fair call tomorrow, probably from Doug’s eastward. It’s going to be frigid, so bring your warmest wetsuit.

Pointing the telescope at Wedensday, I see continued west winds, as high pressure off the coast keeps gradients lined up the right way through the Gorge.

If you like wavesailing, head to the coast on Tuesday and Wednesday. Seaside to Bandon will see 20-25+ with a 15 foot swell. Can you say epic, kiddies?

The powder alert is still on for Timberline on Tuesday, with 4-8 inches of fresh snow on the way.

In other news, it’s still mushroom season, with chanterelles and lobsters hanging out around 1000 feet (and that’s all the hint you’ll get from me). I’m feeling a little sick from eating too many mushrooms (or maybe it’s the cream and butter and pie crust combined with the mushrooms).

Have a great day today!