The Gorge Is My Gym

MT HOOD WEATHER FORECAST

Hey skiers and snowboarders! The Pineapple Express took over the Mt. Hood weather this morning, and chaotic weather is likely for the next couple of days. That’s followed by warm, sunny conditions to finish off next week. Looking at next weekend, we have significant differences in the main models on precip amounts, so I’m going to hold off on making any predictions for now. Snow conditions today: wet pack with areas of wet granular and areas of partially-transformed snow. Wax: yellow.

Mt. Hood picked up two inches of rain already, and rain continues into Sunday evening. The snow level will be 8000′ this morning, 7500′ this afternoon, briefly as low as 4000′ this evening, and back to 6500′ after midnight. Temps at 5000′ start near 40F, fall as low as 33F this afternoon, and rise to 34-35F overnight. About 1.8” rain is forecast today. That’s followed by 0.5” mixed precip this afternoon for perhaps an inch or two of wet snow above 5000′. Overnight, the sky clears. High clouds return after midnight. Wind today will be WSW 30-40 this morning, W 55-60 this afternoon, WSW 40 this evening, and SW 10-20 overnight. That period of strongest wind, 1-4pm or so, could knock some lifts offline.

Monday starts off dry, but mixed precip returns by sunrise. The snow level will be 6500′ early, 4500′ in the afternoon, and 3000′ after midnight. Temps will be in the 33-35F range early, 32F in the afternoon, and upper 20s overnight. During the day, 0.4” water equivalent (WE) mixed precip is forecast for 1-3” wet new snow. Overnight, 1.4” WE is forecast as snow for 12-16” new. Wind will be SW 10-20 early. It rises to SW 30-60 in the afternoon (depends on exposure), and potentially WSW 85 overnight. Yeah, you read that right! This really depends on the path of an incoming low pressure system; the deterministic GFS places it in exactly the right spot for extreme overnight wind that will knock down trees and turn all that fresh snow into windslab and sastrugi.

IF the low holds that path, Tuesday will start with full-on blizzard conditions: dumping snow and blasting wind, strong enough to shut down all the lifts. As of right now, we’re looking at 70mph west wind Tuesday morning with dumping snow, perhaps up to a foot of new. The wind is forecast to back off in the afternoon, but it’s questionable if it will back off enough to turn more than a few lifts. The snow level will be 3000′ in the morning, 2000′ in the afternoon, and as warm air returns in the evening, 8500′ overnight. Temps will be in the upper 20s at 5000′ early and will rise to the 33-38F range (depending on location) Tuesday night. All that said, I can’t really give you an accurate or precise forecast for Tuesday until we know where that low is headed – that extreme wind forecast could shift enough to get you on the lifts. We’ll look again tomorrow morning!

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are easy: warm and dry with relatively light wind. Temps will rise to the 40s or even 50F. For next weekend, we’ve got the GFS calling for moisture and the Euro staying mostly dry. So, I’ll leave it here for now. Grab your poncho or plastic bag and head to the slopes for fun in the rain today. See you on the snow!

GORGE WIND FORECAST

Hi friends! Looks like we have a shot at wind for the next five days, but some of it’s probably going to come in too late in the day to be useful. Keep a close eye on Tuesday as the forecast shifts around – there’s some indication of a nuking day. Let’s start with Sunday: we have light onshore gradients and light/variable wind to start. The wind turns westerly this afternoon, first between Iwash and Viento and then spreading eastward. Models give us W 17-20ish all the way from Iwash to Arlington, but unfortunately they point at a 4pm or later start time. It’s going to be close. River flow over the last 24 hours was 110-133kcfs, river temp is 37.40F, and high temp forecast is 54F with lots of rain.

Monday starts with widespread easterlies as a low zips north in the Pacific. Max wind will be mid-morning at 30mph at Stevenson and 35mph at Iwash. In the evening, probably after dark, the wind turns westerly and builds overnight. High temp: 50F and pouring rain. A low moves inland Tuesday. Depending on its path, we could have anything from nuking wind to uninspiring wind. Either way, the wind will be westerly, and I’m definitely keeping a close eye on it. Models agree on easterlies, probably 30-35mph, for Wednesday. It’ll be windy everywhere, but probably best and driest at Rufus if this forecast pans out. Ensembles call for lighter wind for Thursday and Friday. Hopefully that forecast has something in it for you. Have a great day today!

BARE BONES HOOD RIVER WEATHER FORECAST

Rain this morning turns torrential this afternoon and shuts off overnight. Temps start in the mid 40s and rise to the mid 50s. Calm wind most of the day. Light to moderate westerlies late. 19% chance of rainbows. Monday will be rainy from sunrise on into the evening. Temps start near 40 and rise to 50 or so. Light easterlies. Westerlies late. Very strong overnight. 49% chance of rainbows. Tuesday will be soaking in the morning and dry in the afternoon. Temps start near 40 and rise to 50 or so. Nuking westerlies. 99% chance of rainbows