Sternwheerler days = drink vanilla malted days at the East Wind Drive-in. 6/25

Good morning!

There are more clouds in the western Gorge today than we’ve seen in a couple of days, and that’s always a good sign for wind. The 5am gradient was at .11 from Portland to The Dalles, and that’s going to build today as high pressure fills in at the coast. With the clouds this far east, strongest wind this morning will be at Mosier, filling in from the Hatchery out to Biggs by mid-morning. 17-20 this morning and 23-26 this afternoon is the call today.

The weekend looks windy too, with low clouds pushing inland and weak high pressure holding at the coast. Saturday brings upper teens to low twenties. At this point, Sunday looks a little lighter on the graphical models, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see a repeat of Saturday, with the wind blowing in the upper teens in the afternoon.

If you’re looking for fun stuff to do this weekend, the western Gorge has dueling events, with Sternwheeler days today through Sunday in Cascade Locks and Brews, Blues and BBQs in Stevenson on Saturday. In the central Gorge, there’s Windfest at the Hood River Event Site all weekend, with $10 windsurfing demos, and an all-sports swap meet at the Hood River Expo Center on Sunday morning.

And if you happen to be out late on Saturday night, look up at the sky to see a partial lunar eclipse.

If you’re a mountain biker and you’re headed to Knebal or Bottle Prarie, plan on taking it slow on the trails. The ranger and his crew are doing trail work, so please slow down if you can’t see what’s ahead of you. If you don’t, you might find yourself entangled with a shovel, a chainsaw, a Mcleod, or worst of all, a pissed-off ranger.

Anytime you’re out hiking or biking in the next few days, keep an eye out for wild strawberries. They’re in season, and they’re delicious!

Have an awesome day today!

Temira