Gorge Wind Forecast
Yesterday did a good job of fitting the bill of up-and-down wind that blew all over the place, getting everyone on the water. Today, or this morning at least, is an easier day to predict. We’ll have a stable setup for a good portion of the day, followed by a possible impact from a cold front passing far to the north late this afternoon. Wind should match the gradient today, and with .13 (pdx-dls) and .04 (dls-psc), we’re off to a good start. River flow at The Dalles this morning is 217kcfs and river temp is 65 degrees.
We’ll start the day off with 19-23 from Swell to Mosier with 13-16 further east and 7-11 under the clouds to the west. The wind will quickly jump into the 24-28 range from Viento to Mosier, holding steady (relatively steady, I should say – this is the Gorge) through mid-afternoon. The near-east beaches of Rowena and Doug’s should join in by late morning or early afternoon. The wind near Biggs is a tough call today, with models suggesting the strongest wind will stay to the west of Biggs. That said, this is a decent setup with strong synoptic-scale support, so I’m going out on a limb and saying that Rufus will also see 24-28 today. Arlington will probably stay in the teens, and the Cascade Locks area will stay in the low double digits until the sky clears, after which the wind will pick up to 20-23 or so. With all of that said, this afternoon cold front to the north will probably cause the wind to go gusty-unreliable-inconsistent sometime mid to late afternoon. The mid-morning to early afternoon session is probably the best call today.
(continued after the chart)
| Your favorite beach | Dawn Patrol |
9am- 11:30a |
11:30a- 3pm |
3pm- dusk |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rooster Rock | dare | to | bare | two! | |
| Steven’s Locks | 8-12 | 12-15 | 20-23 | 20-23 | |
| Hatchery/Wunderbar | 19-23 | 24-28 | 24-28 | 22-25 | |
| Doug’s, Lyle, Rowena | 13-16 | 16-23 | 24-28 | 24-28 | |
| Rufus, etc. | 13-16 | 16-23 | 24-28 | 24-28 | |
| Roosevelt, etc. | 13-16 | 13-16 | 13-16 | 13-16 | |
Gorge Wind Forecast, continued.
Looking at Monday, we’ll have more marine clouds to the west and this cold front moving through Washington. The first is a good thing, but the second is not. I think we’ll start the day with gusty 18-23 from Swell (if the clouds don’t make it there) to Doug’s. We’ll see gusty 22-26 mid-morning through early afternoon, becoming gustier as the day goes on. That said, the wind should fill in from Cascade Locks to Rufus as the day goes on.
Tuesday’s setup is far from ideal as a trough of low pressure sets up along the coast and high pressure sets up in the Great Basin. That would be okay if we had high pressure in the Pacific as well, but we won’t – there’s a low pressure system up near Alaska that will dominate the picture. We’ll still see onshore flow, but the strength will be down quite a bit. Expect 12-15 on Tuesday from Cascade Locks to Mosier. Wednesday looks similar, with a short period of stronger wind possible. Looking longer range, models are hinting at much stronger gradients under a complicated setup starting next Friday. Not sure yet how that will translate down to river level, but it’s worth watching.
Say “thanks for the forecasts”
by making a donation!
Keep the forecasts coming.
Does this forecast save you time, gas money, or help you have more fun in your life? Make a donation to support continued forecasting, and get the forecast in your inbox each day. Click on the button to donate. The email subscription isn’t $99/year. Not $50/year. No, just $12.34 or more gets you on the list for 12 months. Don’t PayPal? Send a check to Temira @ PO Box 841 in Hood River. Thank you for your support and thank you for trusting my forecast.
Jones, Sauvie’s, Coast Beta Test Forecast
Jones Sunday: 22-25. Monday: 12-15. Tuesday: 14-17. Sauvie’s Sunday: 14-17. Monday: 11-14. Tuesday: 8-12. Coast (north/central/south). Sunday: 5-10/15-20/30+, W swell 2′ @ 9 seconds. Monday: 25-30/25-30/30+, W 2′ @ 9. Tuesday: 20-25/20-25/probably not, W 5′ @ 9.
Mt. Hood Snow Forecast
Nothing to see here.
Random Morning Thoughts
There wasn’t much coming to my mind this morning for this section, so I thought I would get up and take a shower. I guess I forgot to do that the last couple of days – I substituted river showers for real showers. TMI? Anyway, it crossed my mind that you might prefer to have your forecast now rather than 15 minutes later (I have a lot of showering to do to make up!)
That was an assumption on my part. Thinking you want a forecast, not that my shower will take a long time. We do this all the time – we make assumptions about what other people want. We base our assumptions, often, on what we want. Or we base those assumptions on what people wanted in the past, in similar situations, or in situations that are completely different.
It is generally more effective to ask people what they want rather than making assumptions. And it’s generally more effective for us to state what we want rather than hemming and hawing and implying. Stating what we really want can be scary – putting our truth out in the world leaves us vulnerable to rejection and the unpleasant feelings that can arise in response to a “no” answer.
But just give it a shot today, even in a simple, no-risk situation. State exactly what you want, and notice what arises for you when you do. Or ask someone what they want and push for a real answer, rather than making an assumption. Notice how you’re impacted by the yes, no, maybe, or hemming in hawing that you get in response. Just notice. No need to react. And no need to change your entire world today. Just give it one little shot. Have an awesome day!
Disclaimer required by my grad school program: I am not your therapist (but I could be 27 graduate school credits from now). I am your weather forecaster. Take everything I say with a grain of salt, and consult with your actual therapist about your mental health issues. One other thing: I plan to keep doing this forecast indefinitely, even when I am a therapist.
Gorge Weather Forecast
It’s a clear and sunny and cool morning, and it shall stay sunny today. Temps will be in the low 60’s early and the low 80’s in the afternoon. Strong westerlies (eventually). No rainbows. Monday looks sunny with a few low clouds early and sunny with high clouds later. Temps will be near 60 early and near 80 in the afternoon. Moderate westerlies. No rainbows. Tuesday looks sunny. Temps will be in the upper 50’s early and upper 80’s in the afternoon. Light westerlies. No rainbows.
For weather specifically directed at travel through the Gorge, please visit Temira’s Awesome Travel Advisory Service on Facebook.
White Sprinter Van of the Day
Road and Mountain Biking
Nothing new to report today. Plains of Abraham, Gunsight, and Boulder Lakes are all still closed as far as I know. Same goes for Huffman Peak, unless you have different information. The Forest Loop above Trout Lake is rideable – there are two washouts on the 88 Road. Ainsworth to Larch Mountain is still the best road ride in the Gorge.
Upcoming Events
Today’s events start off with a swap meet at the Windance parking lot starting at 8am – sellers can arrive as early as 7am. It’s free to shop and $10 to sell. The Gorge Cup windsurfing races are at the Hood River Event Site today, and the Cascade Locks Marina has the WIND youth regatta sailboat races.
There are three free yoga classes today: 9am at Samadhi in White Salmon, 4pm at Pure Yoga in The Dalles, and 6pm at Pure Yoga in Hood River. There’s pickup touch rugby for kids and adults today at 11 at the Hood River Marina. Coming up tomorrow, Big Winds has their 30th anniversary party in the evening. Looking ahead to Tuesday, it’s the annual Kollas Kranmer run from Odell to Hood River and the Hero’s Challenge bike and running race in Washougal.
Have an awesome day today!
Temira
