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8/24 forecast

Good morning!

This week’s report is brought to you by Columbia Gorge Windsurfing Association. It’s PSA week, so no prizes. You’re actually supposed to join CGWA this week. Why? Because CGWA protects your beaches and keeps you updated on all the windsurfing happenings at their website, gorgewindsurfing.org. So, consider joining CGWA for $25 by clicking here. I’m a member. You should be too.

Today’s going to be a beautiful, sunny day, with temperatures climbing to around 90. If you have the day off, I’m voting for hiking at Cloud Cap, because it’s cool, quiet and uncrowded, with gorgeous views. If you want to get on the water, there are some east winds this morning at Stevenson and Rooster. They’ll hold in the 22-24 range until early afternoon.

Coming up tomorrow, the heat low shifts eastward over the Cascades and a trough of low pressure moves towards the coast. We’ll see light east winds in the morning, probably in the 10-15 range. By mid-afternoon, gradients should turn around, causing west winds to climb into the 13-17 range from Stevenson down to Hood River.

Gradients continue to build overnight Wednesday, setting up a big west wind day on Thursday. Dawn patrol at the Hatchery looks likely, with early winds in the mid-twenties. By midday, winds should be in the upper twenties to low thirties near the hatchery, with gusty low twenties at the Sandbar. Dress warmly tomorrow – temperatures are going to drop into the 70’s.

At this point, it looks like cool weather in Portland will continue through the weekend, making every day from Thursday to Sunday windy.

Coming up this evening, there’s the Tuesday Night Tri, where you can swim in the Columbia, sprint 8 miles on your bike, and run 2 miles on flat ground. Everyone is welcome – just show up at the east end of the Event Site at 6pm.

Temira

p.s. If you find this report useful, entertaining, or just want to recognize all the hard work that goes into it, please take the time to make a donation by clicking on the button at the bottom of the page. For a suggested donation of $10, I’ll add you to the email version of this list ‘til May 2011, putting you in the running for cool prizes donated by the weekly sponsors.

Categories
Forecast

8/22 forecast

Good morning!

This week’s report is brought to you by Columbia Gorge Windsurfing Association. It’s PSA week, so no prizes. You’re actually supposed to join CGWA this week. Why? Because they work hard to keep your beaches open for you, because they organize beach cleanups to keep the Hatchery and Doug’s pretty and clear of garbage for you, and because CGWA is working hard to get new people into windsurfing with Gorge Groms, a low-cost program to get kids into the sport. So, consider joining CGWA for $25 by clicking here. I’m a member. You should be too.

Want to bitch and complain? Want to compliment and praise? At the end of the day, you can rate today’s forecast. If you think it’s super-rad, you can make a donation by clicking at the bottom of this page. That’ll get you on the email list, and put you in the running for cool prizes!

It’s a cool and cloudy morning, but the west winds will blow again today. The low clouds were just past Hood River early, and they’ll fill in a little more this morning. Wind this morning will be in the 22-25 range from Mosier to Maryhill. As the low pressure trough along the coast moves east, winds build into the 24-28 range, filling in from the Hatchery all the way east to Arlington. Depending on the timing of high pressure building behind the trough, we could see a period of very strong wind near Hood River today.

High pressure builds across the Cascades tonight, leaving us with very weak west gradients tomorrow morning. It may blow in the 5-10 range early tomorrow morning, before slowly dying and leaving us with glassy conditions by midday, for excellent wakeboarding and waterskiing.

High pressure builds east of the Cascades on Tuesday and a heat low sets up over the coast and the Willamette Valley, for east winds. Tuesday morning easterlies blow in the 23-26 range before fading in the afternoon. By Wednesday, west winds return.

If you’re up early today, there’s the Sunday Sicko Swim, leaving the east end of the Hood River Inn at 7:30. If you’re a strong swimmer, join these crazies for a swim to the middle of the Columbia, under the bridge, and back to the event Site.

Boaters, the White Salmon’s just under two feet and the Klickitat’s getting low at 772 cfs. Cross your fingers for some rain (well, after they pick all the peaches and cherries, but not before)!

Have a great day today!

Temira

p.s. If you find this report useful, entertaining, or just want to recognize all the hard work that goes into it, please take the time to make a donation by clicking on the button at the bottom of the page. For a suggested donation of $10, I’ll add you to the email version of this list ‘til May 2011, putting you in the running for cool prizes donated by the weekly sponsors.