Random Morning Thoughts
The season switched from summer to fall mighty fast this year, and I’m feeling unprepared. My summer MO is to ride, ride, ride, windsurf when possible, and spend as much time outside as I can. It was a rude awakening for me yesterday when I walked out of an appointment to pouring rain, stopping my running plans dead. It occurs to me today, in hindsight, that it might be nice to have a better plan for fall in place when fall is coming, so the sudden drop in playtime doesn’t come as a huge shock to my play-craving system. We plan for our long-distant future. Why not plan for the smaller transitions too?
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Thank you to everyone for using this forecast. Does it save you time, gas money, or help you find more wind, powder, or just plain fun stuff to do? Please consider making a donation to keep it going! Use it here for free or make a donation and get on the mailing list for wind for the summer and Mt. Hood snow in the winter. It’s not $99/year. Not $50/year. No, just $12.34 or more gets you on the list for 12 months. Do it via PayPal/CC by clicking on my happy photo below. Don’t PayPal? You can send a check to Temira @ PO Box 841 in Hood River. Thank you for your support, and thank you for trusting my forecast. You guys mean the world to me.
Gorge Wind
We here in the Northwest are still under the influence of much-too-friendly jet stream, meaning we’re seeing a series of low pressure systems off the coast. As you know, we want high pressure off the coast and low pressure in the desert for Gorge west wind. And the opposite for east wind. We’re not getting either setup right now. We will benefit from a weather system moving through today. So, expect light and variable (LTV) wind this morning, picking up after noon, possibly as late as 2pm, to very gusty 18-21 in the western Gorge and very gusty, up-and-down 26-30 from Maryhill east to Arlington, likely steadiest at Arlington and Threemile today.
Tomorrow brings east wind at 15-18 at Rooster with a touch less at Stevenson, as high pressure inland combines with the next approaching low pressure system off the coast.
A weather system moves through on Friday giving us LTV wind early and westerlies at 8-12 in the afternoon. Doesn’t look like much will change through the weekend.
Out on the coast, expect strong south wind for the next three days. Today looks like 20-25+ with swell at W 12@14. Tomorrow starts off light with S 25-30 in the afternoon with W 6@11. Friday looks very wind, S 30-34, with chaotic seas of 10’@11 seconds.
| Your favorite beach | Dawn Patrol |
9am- 11:30a |
11:30a- 3pm |
3pm- dusk |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rooster’s Rocks | It’s the | end of | naked | season | |
| Steven’s Locks | LTV | LTV | gusty 18-21 |
gusty 18-21 |
|
| Hatchery/White Salmon Sandbar (minus a few for Hood River) | LTV | LTV | gusty 18-21 |
gusty 18-21 |
|
| Doug’s, Lyle, Rowena | LTV | LTV | gusty 18-21 |
gusty 18-21 |
|
| Rufus, etc. | LTV | LTV | up-and-down 26-30 |
up-and-down 26-30 |
|
| Roosevelt, etc. | LTV | LTV | up-and-down 26-30 |
up-and-down 26-30 |
|
| Temira’s sail: 35-40: 2.9 / 30-35: 3.2 / 26-30: 3.5 23-26: 4.0 / 20-23: 4.5 less than 20: something bigger! |
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| Tonia’s kite: 35-40: 4m / 30-35: 4-6m / 26-30: 5-7m 23-26: 7-9m / 20-23: 8-10 / 15-20: 10-12 / 10-15: 13-15. |
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Gorge Weather
Once again the pavement is wet, so once again, I shall remind you that this means it has been raining. Actually, it is raining right now as I write this. Expect more rain through the morning, decreasing this afternoon, so if you want to be dry while you play, delay. Temps will be in the low 50’s early and low 60’s in the afternoon. The snow level today will be 6000′ early and 7000′ in the afternoon, and yes, there is a trace of new at the base of Timberline. Rainbow chances this afternoon are 98%.
Tomorrow looks dry, and that makes for a tough cloud cover call, because the ground is very wet. We’ll likely end up with low clouds in the morning tomorrow and sunshine midday or early afternoon before high clouds from the next weather system move in. Expect temps in the mid 40’s early and mid 60’s in the afternoon. The snow level will be 7500′ early and 10,000′ in the afternoon.
Friday, depending on the timing of the next weather system, will either start out cloudy or wet. I recommend planning play time for early in the day, because there could be a lot of moisture with this system, and once it hits, we’re wet. Temps will be in the upper 40’s early and the mid 60’s in the afternoon. Rainbow chances, given that this is a warm front, are just 18%.
White Sprinter Van of the Day
Road and Mountain Biking
I talked to someone yesterday morning who told me that Post Canyon was slick. With another .3” of rain yesterday during the day, it must be muddy now. Whoopdee may be a little better, but it too has sections that turn to mud. Syncline drains a lot better, and so does the front side of Hospital Hill, so perhaps those are good calls today for mountain biking. Or dare I say it? The Deschutes River Trail? Tomorrow looks dry all day, so I’m issuing a tentative tackalert for all local trails tomorrow afternoon.
Don’t forget that we have the FREE IMBA trailbuilding school next Saturday, a must-do for anyone who shows up for work parties. If you don’t have all day, just show up for the classroom portion at the Hood River Fire Station in the morning. Sign up now so HRATS knows how many lunches to provide. Then next Sunday, there’s a fundraiser for trails happening at the Whoopdee (all day) with music, food, and Trek demos. On the following Saturday, the 25th, there’s a Kleeway fundraiser at Dirty Fingers. Costumes, karaoke, and fundraising for what’s going to be the most awesome (and most safety-promoting) trail in Post Canyon!
The Clymb: free membership. Cheap gear.
Temira approves. Click to join.
River Levels / Fish Counts/Cheezburger Update
The John Day Dam is reading 59-109kcfs. The Dalles Dam is putting out 56kcfs. There are two river-wide logs on the White Salmon: one just below Cave Rapid on the Middle and one below Cave Wave on the Lower. The White Salmon is around 1.7′. Yesterday’s fish counts: Chinook, 958. Coho, 1237. Steelhead, 242.
Events – email me if I’ve missed any outdoor-related events
Hi, Wednesday. Tonight, the Columbia Gorge Running Club has a track workout in Stevenson at 6pm. The Hood River running club has intervals at HRVHS at 6:30 tonight. Kayak Polo happens at the Hood River Pool at 8pm. Fall season has started for ping pong, so that’s at 5:30pm at the Hood River Armory.
This weekend is the big mountain bike festival, BikeToberFest, with the IMBA Trail Care Crew in town on Saturday for the free trailbuilding school (see biking section) and a fundraiser for HRATS at the Whoopdee on Sunday with free Trek demos. Also next weekend, it’s Harvest Fest in Hood River, meaning you will be very, very happy to be in the woods and not anywhere near downtown.
On Saturday afternoon, it’s the Vampires and Victims 5k/2k at Hood River Valley High. Show up in costume (or not) and be assigned to the vampire or victim crowd. All proceeds benefit the anti-concussion program.
Have an awesome day today!
Temira
