Monday: lots of snow forecast for mt. hood!

Meet Temira,
your Gorge and Mt. Hood forecaster

For almost 30 years, Temira (they/them) has been making the most of what the Gorge has to offer: riding river swell on a foil or windsurf board, carving fresh lines through the snow, and cycling all the gravel and pavement and trails. This is Temira’s playground, their gym… their life’s work.

That’s why in 2006, Temira took it upon themselves to create the most accurate, hyper-local weather forecasts possible. Inaccurate predictions had left too many fellow adventurers caught off-guard and in harm’s way. Temira was determined to change that. Today, Temira’s forecasts have become an essential resource for thousands of skiers, snowboarders, wind sports enthusiasts and travelers through the Gorge. With their guidance, you can plan ahead, time your sessions perfectly, and stay safer on the water, snow, and trails.

But the story doesn’t end there. Temira also authors the TATAS Facebook page – the Gorge’s premier source for microclimate forecasts. When winter storms, extreme heat, or other hazardous conditions (avalanches on SR-14 and I-84, for example!) threaten, this community lifeline becomes a vital resource for locals and visitors alike, helping to keep everyone safe.

Mt. Hood Snow Forecast

Hi skiers and snowboarders! Dumping snow continues through Tuesday morning. Yes! Models now give us a short window to make the most of it Tuesday before rain slams into Mt. Hood on Tuesday afternoon. Rain sticks around through Wednesday midday along with very strong wind. Don’t be surprised if the resorts throw in the towel on Wednesday. Beyond Wednesday: rather warm, intermittently damp weather for the rest of the week. A cooler period, maybe cool enough for snow, is possible for at least part of next weekend. The interquartile range (25th percentile through 75% percentile) for snow through Tuesday morning is 13-17”, in case you were wondering.

Monday just looks darn snowy. With temps hovering in the low 30s at 5000′, the snow will be heavy. Base-building snow, right? Timberline and Meadows picked up 7-9” overnight on top of about 18” in the last couple of days. Today, they’ll pick up more. The snow level will be around 4000′ today and will fall to about 3000-3500′ overnight thanks to very heavy precipitation rates (that’s a thing, you know!). During Tuesday daytime, prior to noon, about 0.6” water equivalent (WE) will fall for 4-6” heavy snow at 5000′. A brief break in the weather this afternoon – with sun breaks – gives way to very heavy snowfall overnight. About 1.2” WE is forecast for 9-12” dense new snow. Wind: SW 20-40 this morning fades to SSW 10-20 this afternoon and builds to W 25 after midnight.

As of the writing of this forecast, it looks like there will be a window on Tuesday morning to enjoy the fresh snow. Scattered flurries early give way to high clouds in the morning, mixed precip in the afternoon, and rain overnight. The snow level will be about 3500′ early, 6000′ by 4pm, and 9000′ after midnight. It’s worth noting that the timing of the warm air has been shifting later. Just a trace of snow is forecast in the morning. In the afternoon, perhaps 0.3” WE of mixed precip falls prior to the switch to rain right around closing time (4pm). Overnight, about half an inch of rain is forecast. Wind: W 25 early, W 15 midday, SW 20-35 in the afternoon, and WSW 50 after midnight.

Heavy rain is forecast on Wednesday with the snow level bouncing around between 6000′ (briefly) and 9000′. While models currently offer up an inch of rain, west wind in the 30-50mph range suggests we’ll see quite a bit more thanks to orographic enhancement. All that rain will fall in the morning; the afternoon looks dry. Will the resorts run lifts on Wednesday? I wouldn’t be surprised if the answer is “no”. Light rain Thursday morning gives way to dry weather in the afternoon. Models keep the weather warm with intermittent bouts of rain through Friday. Saturday’s system might be cold enough for snow… maybe. That’s a long ways out. Let’s leave it here for now, shall we? Have fun in the freshies today and tomorrow!

Gorge Wind Forecast

Hi friends! Wet easterlies stick around today and tomorrow. On Wednesday, westerlies return, and models are trending higher with the wind strength. They’re also, in a fun twist, trending sunnier. For Monday, we’ll have easterlies, but not quite enough for much of the day. Iwash (Rooster) starts in the mid 20s, drops to 15mph or so, and climbs back to the mid 20s this afternoon. Stevenson starts with less than 10mph and slowly climbs to 20-25mph in the afternoon. River flow over the last 24 hours was 93-139kcfs, river temp is 45.86F, and high temp forecast is 42F with sunbreaks late morning to early afternoon and rain the rest of the day.

Tuesday brings a round of slowly increasing east wind. Iwash starts with 25 and slowly, ever so slowly builds to 30-35mph after 1pm. Stevenson starts with 15mph and rises to 25mph from mid-morning on through the afternoon. High temp: 42F with dry weather early and rain in the afternoon. Wednesday’s that west wind day. There’s still a lot of range in the model predictions. As of now, it looks like we have potential for upper teens near Swell and mid 20s near Rufus with less than 10mph between Mosier and Doug’s. We’ll refine that as we get closer. It’s worth saying the wind is frontally-driven (not ideal) and will be quickly suppressed by quickly building ridging in the afternoon. High temp: 51F with sunshine in the afternoon. Beyond that: easterlies of some sort day after day. Have a great day today!

Very basic Hood River weather forecast

Don’t plan your life around this. You really should read Temira’s Awesome Travel Advisory Service on Facebook for a detailed weather forecast.

Rain all morning. Intermittent drizzle/sprinkles this afternoon. Temps start in the mid 30s and rise to 40 or so. Light easterlies.79% chance of rainbows.

Tuesday will be rainy early, dry midday, and rain again in the afternoon. Temps start in the mid 30s and rise to 40 or so. Light easterlies. 1% chance of rainbows.

Wednesday will be rainy early and dry after 10am with mostly clear sky in the afternoon. Temps start in the upper 30s and rise to the low 50s. Moderate westerlies.99% chance of rainbows.

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Cycling Update

Trails have been a mix of frozen, hoar-frost (unrideable), and freeze-thaw. When it’s wet and muddy, or when there are freeze-thaw conditions, please don’t ride, or you’ll do significant trail damage. Then peeps have to fix your mess rather than building new trails. Nobody wants that! Everyone wants new trails. Be a good steward, and pick a different activity

Remember: E-bikes are not allowed on USFS non-moto trails. They are allowed on moto trails.