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Random Morning Thoughts
Anyone interested in a job? I need a writer. A communicator. A skier or snowboarder. Wed-Sun, 2-9:30pm at Meadows. You’d be answering switchboard, recording the snowphone, and updating the conditions page on the website. Email me a paragraph containing the proper use of all variations of the homophones of “your”, “its”, and “there” to apply.
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Mt. Hood Snow Forecast
Finally! It’s going to snow! Not today. Tomorrow. Today will be clear on Mt. Hood (a nice place to escape the valley fog) with the free air freezing level (FAF) rising to 5000′ mid-morning and 7000′ in the afternoon. Wind will be W 5-10 early and SW 10 in the afternoon.
High clouds move in Thursday morning. The snow level will be 7000′ early, 5000′ midday, and 4000′ or so when the precip hits around 1pm. Expect .8”-.9” water value (WV) between 1pm Thursday and 4am Friday, for 7-10” of new snow. Wind on Thursday will be SW 30 in the morning and WSW 30-35 in the afternoon.
Friday sees a few lingering flurries in the morning before the sky clears over Mt. Hood. The snow level will be 4000′ early and 3000′ by midday, holding through the evening. Wind will be NW 25 early and NW 20 through the afternoon.
Saturday looks high overcast, warm, and mostly dry, with the FAF around 7000′.
Plain Old Local Weather
Oh dear. It is mighty fortunate we’re out of the worst of the cold spell, but that likely won’t save us from a messy Thursday evening.
Today’s a bit of a loss to The Thing That Lives in the Gorge – Nothing weather. The gloomy clouds will hang around all day, maybe breaking up a little bit – I do see a few sunbeams outside my window… Combine the lack of sun (sunny happy lamps do not count) for a sub-freezing day in the Gorge. No precip.
Tomorrow starts with the company of the Nothing cloud and an easterly gradient and temps in the mid-20’s. The cloud will insulate the Gorge from the sun’s rays tomorrow, contributing to a messy evening. As a weather system slides over the top of the entrapped cold air, we’ll most likely see a round of freezing rain. This should start between 1pm and 4pm and last until the cold air is scoured from the Gorge. Models have a poor track record of predicting the switch from east wind to west wind in these events, so it’s hard to say when we’ll go above freezing or how much ice we’ll see. Be prepared with chains or studs tomorrow evening.
By Friday morning, we should be above freezing in the Gorge. I hope. But models are predicting another round of low clouds, which is an odd prediction if we’re back to west wind. Call it partly cloudy on Friday and above freezing, with a few lingering morning sprinkles. But you won’t be here, because you’ll be on the mountain skiing powder.
Long range… models are hinting at another cold snap during the middle of next week.
Gorge Wind Forecast
Temps have dropped back below freezing this morning in the Gorge as east winds have returned to Steven’s Locks and Rooster Rock. Expect easterlies at 25-30 at Steven’s Locks today and 35-45 at Rooster. Tomorrow starts off with light east wind, and switches to west wind late in the evening. Friday brings westerlies at 13-15 from Steven’s Locks to HR and 21-24 further east.
Road and Mountain Biking
Ugh. I really want to ride my bike.
The Clymb: free membership. Cheap gear. Temira approves. Click to join.
Events – email me if I’ve missed any outdoor-related events
Coming up tonight, the Recreation Trails Committee meets at the OSU extension office at 5pm. There’s an open house for the proposed Lyle trail system from 5:30-7pm at the Lyle Activity Center. There’s Karma Yoga at 4pm (free/by donation at Flow), and there’s Kayak Polo at the Hood River pool at 8pm. Tomorrow night, you’ll want to head to Andrew’s for the ski documentary “McConkey”. Night skiing starts at Meadows on Friday.
Have an awesome day today!
Temira