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Random Morning Thoughts
After blowing several “winter storm warning” forecasts this winter (it’s freakin’ hard to predict the Gorge, folks), I think NOAA and I are both quite happy to have called this one right. Please be careful out there today. No snow tires? No chains? Don’t do it. And you idiots driving past my window on I-84 doing 50+mph, slow the f**k down. Please. Slow the f**k down, please.
Cool Local Business – Please Support It
ReRack, a 6-year-old Portland business, is your place to buy, sell, and trade your Yakima and Thule rack parts. Brilliant idea, right? They provide free advice and free basic installation too. Head to ReRack, 2240 NE Sandy Blvd, to buy your first rack, sell your old rack or better yet make your old rack work on your new vehicle! Check out www.rerackpdx.com or Call (503) 875-6055 for more information. Go check it out. What a brilliant idea!
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Mt. Hood Snow Forecast
Sounds like I was a little off on the timing of the switch from snow to rain on Mt. Hood: it’s been alternating back and forth since yesterday evening. Snow most of the time, but also some mist and rain mixed in. We’ll see a transition today away from the white stuff and towards the wet stuff. The snow level will be around 5000′ early, rising to 6000′ by 1pm and dropping to 5000-5500′ by Monday morning. We’ll see light mist/snow early, with precip rates picking up after 10am, for 1”+ water value (WV) by 4pm and another 1-2” WV overnight. We may see a few wet inches of snow out of this, but most of this, I suspect, will fall as rain at base elevations. Wind today will be SW 35 early, rising to SW 45 midday and SW 50 in the evening.
Monday starts with a wintry mix of precip, quickly becoming rain, as the snow level rises from 5500′ early to 6000′ at 7am and 6500′ in the afternoon, before dropping to 5000-5500′ overnight. Models are disagreeing on precip amounts, suggesting anything from 1-3” of rain during the day, followed by showers, or more likely, flurries, overnight, for less than 1” of new. Wind will be WSW 40 early, switching to W 40 in the afternoon and dropping to W 30 overnight.
Tuesday starts with a few flurries, followed by a transition to rain – the snow level will be at 5000′ early, rising to 5500′ at 10am, and then slowly rising to 7500′ by midnight. We’ll get .2-.4” rain from 4am-4pm, followed by another .4” or so of rain overnight.
Wednesday looks very warm and wet, with the snow level around 7500-8500′ (c’mon, it’s 4 days away!). Pineapples may fall from the sky, so wear a helmet. At this point, Thursday looks cold-enough and snowy, but that’s a long way out to be predicting.
Gorge Wind
There’s a solid east gradient this morning, .19, with an upper level low offshore reinforcing that gradient. It’s blowing in the upper 20’s at Stevenson, where the sensor has been protected from accumulating ice by a miracle. At Rooster, the sensor is iced up. Expect the easterlies to slowly fade, switching to light west wind sometime between 4pm and 10pm.
Monday starts with light west wind, picking up to gusty 21-24. Thursday looks like a light westerly day.
Gorge Weather
Gorge weather is officially messy this morning. And exciting, if you’re me or Larry Spellman, who got his birthday wish. According to NOAA (who I called to report continued snowfall here in HR), there’s 1/4” of ice in Cascade Locks. According to TripCheck, chains are required on I-84. Messy, for sure. As always, it’s difficult to predict when temps will rise above freezing, but it looks like 4pm is Magic Hour today, as an upper level low swings across Washington, switching the cross-Cascade gradient from E to W.
As for snow/sleet/ice amounts, well, precip rates will increase after 10am. Expect another .2-.4” water value to fall before we switch to pure rain. That will give us up to 1” of snow followed by .1-.2” freezing rain today. Good thing it’s going to warm up this evening, because we’re going to see .5” of rain tonight.
Monday starts with temps in the mid-40’s, warming to the low 50’s in the afternoon. We’ll see steady rainfall all day, tapering off after 4pm. Tuesday looks warm and showery, with temps in the mid-40’s early and mid-50’s in the afternoon. We’ll see rain showers and rainbows. Wednesday looks really warm and really wet.
Road and Mountain Biking
Your trainer is calling you today.
The Clymb: free membership. Cheap gear. Temira approves. Click to join.
Events – email me if I’ve missed any outdoor-related events
The normally-scheduled Sunday ping-pong is canceled this week. Rugby, however, at the Mosier School at 3pm, is on.
Coming up March 8th, it’s Bowl For Kids’ Sake, the annual fundraiser for Big Brothers, Big Sisters. Now look, folks. This program saves lives. Kids who have a “big” have lower dropout rates, better mental health, better grades and more success in life. Trust me on this one, and please make a donation. Any amount helps. And if you want to be involved, there are about 20 boys looking for a Big. Just 2 hours a week can change a kid’s life. Call 541-436-0306 for more information.
Have an awesome day today!
Temira
