As of o’dawn o’clock on this sunny Wednesday, it was already windy enough to get on the water for all but the most spoiled of the spoiled. I’m going to recommend you get on the water early today, because there are zero clouds in Portland this morning and the temp forecast for Portland and Hood River is within one degree. In addition, a strong northerly gradient will probably make the wind a little up-and-down, as it has been for a few days. Those three strikes are balanced today by strong offshore high pressure of 1032mb and a starting gradient of .15 (pdx-dls) and .03 (dls-psc), meaning today only has one strike against it and you should get on the water, especially since the westerlies are going bye-bye after today. Continued after the chart…
| Your favorite beach | Dawn Patrol |
9am- 11:30a |
11:30a- 3pm |
3pm- dusk |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rooster Rock | golden | park | buns | dark | |
| Steven’s Locks | 10-13 | 13-16 | 20-23 | 20-23 | |
| Hatchery/White Salmon Sandbar (minus a few for Hood River) | 25-29 | 25-29 | 22-25 | 20-23 | |
| Doug’s, Lyle, Rowena | 10-13 | 16-19 | 23-26 | 20-23 | |
| Rufus, etc. | 10-13 | 10-13 | 13-16 | 16-19 | |
| Roosevelt, etc. | 10-13 | 10-13 | 10-13 | 10-13 | |
|
|||||
Gorge wind forecast, continued…
Expect 24-27 for Dawn Patrol from Viento to Swell City, quickly filling in at the Wonderbar and Mosier. With .15 to start, 25-29 from Viento to Mosier through noon seems reasonable. This afternoon looks a little trickier. My instinct says the lack of Portland clouds should lead the wind to get gustier and back off to 21-24 this afternoon, even as it fills in from Stevenson to The Dalles. Models suggest the Rufus stretch will join in late today with 15-18.
Are you coming to the Gorge this weekend because of this forecast?
Make a donation!
2016 Summer Pledge Drive!
Thank you for using this forecast. Does it save you time, gas money, or help you have more fun in your life? Make a donation! Get your forecast here for free or donate and get on the mailing list for year-round wind forecasts and ski season snow forecasts. Click on my photo to donate via PayPal or credit card. The email 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 for helping me pay grad school bills), and thank you for trusting my forecast.
Thursday’s forecast is easy. We’ll start off with glassy conditions, perfect for wakeboarding, rowing, non-downwind floatytoying, etc. By midday, we’ll have glassy conditions everywhere except Rooster to Viento, where we’ll have east wind at 5-10. By late afternoon, we’ll be back to glassy conditions everywhere, perfect, once again, for your inflatable shark, alligator, or waterwings.
Things perk up on Friday as a heat low settles over the coast. Expect east wind at the rock known in the Chinook language as Iwash Rock (translated from “penis rock” to “cock rock” to “rooster rock” by prudish Whites), at 25-30 to start the day, backing off to 15-20 in the afternoon. Steven’s Locks should join in with 20-25 for the morning before backing off in the afternoon. We’ll see easterlies at 5-10 in the afternoon from Viento out to The Dalles. Saturday currently looks like E 10-15. In yet another switcharoo, Sunday now looks like W 25-29+ in the afternoon.
Jones, Sauvie’s, Coast Beta Test Forecast
Jones Wednesday: 20-23. Thursday: no. Friday: no. Sauvie’s Wednesday: 10-13. Thursday: 14-17. Friday: no. Coast (north/central/south). Wednesday: 10-15/15-20/30+, W swell 7′ at 11 seconds. Thursday: 10-15/10-15/15-20, NW swell 6′ @ 9. Friday: 10-15/10-15/no, NW 6′ @ 9.
Mt. Hood Snow Forecast
There will be snow on the ground at Mt. Hood today, and every day until the glaciers completely melt away.
Random Morning Thoughts
I just had this random thought pop into my head as I was contemplating some things that arose while I was meditating last night. Our brains, you may know, use a ton of energy for their work. Now, I’m not sure if a calm mind uses less energy than a busy mind, but it sure feels that way to me. If nothing else, a busy mind triggers physical reactions (muscle tension, anxiety, etc.) that definitely use up energy!
If that is the case, it makes very little sense that our minds are sucking up resources that, evolutionarily speaking, we can ill afford to waste. It’s possible, then, to say that the most efficient and most advantageous state of mind should be that of ease, peace, or quiet. And if that’s the most efficient state, it must exist somewhere in all of us.
Ok, that’s a complicated argument based on a lot of assumptions, but I think it’s a real possibility. Within each of us exists the potential to be at ease. Any monk who’s spent a lot of time meditating will tell you this (and there are several around here you can ask). I too will tell you that you can change your default state of emotional being. The potential for ease does rest within all of us, and it does take less energy than continual mental motion and restlessness. You can be happy, and you can be at ease.
But speaking of motion and restlessness, it’s windy. Enough philosophizing. Let’s get on the water! Have an awesome day!
Disclaimer required by my grad school program: I am not your therapist (but I could be in 700 days). 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
Yay. More sunshine! Today looks sunny with temps in the mid 60’s early and the upper 80’s in the afternoon. Strong wind. No rainbows. Thursday looks sunny with smoke possible as the wind turns around. Temps will be in the upper 50’s early and the mid to upper 90’s in the afternoon. No wind. No rainbows. Time to break out your floaty toy. Friday look sunny with some smoke. Temps will be in the mid 60’s early and the low 90’s in the afternoon. East wind. No rainbows. No, don’t you Gorge people whine about the heat – the forecast for Portland the next three days is in the triple digits. So, enjoy your 90’s!
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
All trails on Kreps and SDS lands are now closed. That means Whoopdee and Hospital Hill. The ban is actually wider than that – all access is closed to all users. Yes, even you and your puppy. Everyone is banned from Kreps and SDS lands until fire season is over.
Upcoming Events
Today’s community events start with free yoga at the FISH food bank at 10. This evening at 5, there’s ping pong at the Hood River Armory. At 5:30, it’s the women’s post n’ pinot bike ride at Dirty Fingers. There are sailboat races at the Hood River Marina at 6, and there’s Zumba at the Parkdale Community Center at 6:30.
Later this week, Goldendale Observatory has the night sky symposium Thursday and Friday. The Festival of Wheels is in Goldendale Friday through Sunday, and Pacific Crest Trail Days is in Cascade Locks all weekend. If you’re a hiker or mountain biker, Northwest Trails Alliance has the St. Helens International Festival of Trails at Marble Mountain Sno-Park Friday through Sunday.
Have an awesome day today!
Temira
