Looks like we’ll see another round of hot weather and sunshine on the mountain this morning, followed by clouds and the potential for thunderstorms this afternoon. That’s more interesting that all this sunshine, right? Expect the free air freezing level to be around 12,000′ all day. Models suggest we’ll see .2” of rain with the convection this afternoon, but it’s really hard to make a sound prediction on unpredictable thunderstorms. Anyway, expect light and variable wind. The exception to that wind forecast comes with the potential thunderstorms: they could bring stronger wind. Continued after the chart…
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4a-8a | 8a-12p | 12p-4p | 4p-8p | 8p-4a |
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| Wednesday 12,000′ |
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| Thursday 10,000′ |
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| Friday 10,000′-> 4000′ |
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Mt. Hood Snow Forecast, continued…
Thursday looks partly cloudy in the morning, sunny midday, and partly cloudy in the afternoon. The free air freezing level will be 10,000, and 5000′ temps will max out around 60 degrees. Wind on Thursday will be S 10-15 all day.
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Friday looks partly cloudy to start with more organized rain moving in around 11am. That rain should switch to snow overnight. The snow level will be 10,000′ early, 7000′ around 5pm, 5500′ in the evening, and 4000′ after midnight. We’ll see .5-.7” water value (WV) between 11am and 5pm. That’ll be rain. We’ll see another .2” WV after 5pm, and that’ll be mixed precip, giving us up to 1” of new snow. Wind on Friday will be S 15 early, SW 20 in the afternoon, and W 30 overnight.
Saturday currently looks clear and colder with the snow level around 4000′. If the models are correct, we’ll see significant snowfall Saturday night. Stay tuned for more details as we get closer.
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Gorge Wind Forecast
The Gorge is all light and variable this morning. Looks like the wind will go to E 10-15 at Stevenson and Rooster mid-morning, turning light and variable again mid-afternoon. The west wind will pick up to 21-24 from Stevenson to Hood River around or after 5pm today. That said, a chance of thunderstorms and a near-certainty of unstable air will make the wind gusty and unreliable.
Thursday starts off with weak high pressure over western Oregon and low pressure in the desert, but there will also be low pressure off the coast. That’s not a great setup for our wind machine. It currently looks like we’ll see W 12-15 in the morning east of Hood River with W 7-11 in the western Gorge. The wind will back off to W 10-13 or less in the afternoon everywhere.
Friday looks interesting and dynamic, with the actualities of the wind depending on what happens during the day. That said, it currently looks like we’ll start off with gusty 22-25 from Mosier to Arlington. That’ll be followed by a midday lull and then a late blast of very strong wind in the central and near east Gorge. It’s not a great setup – too much stuff happening, but you should be able to get on the water.
Looking ahead to the weekend, models currently predict somewhat gusty 25-29 on Saturday and steadier 28-32 on Sunday. It does look rather chilly, unfortunately, but if the air and water temps add up to twice your age, it’s warm enough to get on the river!
Random Morning Thoughts
Today, I have decided, is Garden Like an Oregonian Day. See, here in Oregon, it’s legal to grow 4 marijuana plants, as long as they are not in public view. You can even buy seeds and starts at your local marijuana store. This is astounding to me, because I’m old enough to have been steeped in D.A.R.E. Culture and Nancy Reagan’s “just say no” propaganda campaign. Because of this, I feel a little naughty, okay, a lot naughty talking openly about gardening like an Oregonian. (And no, I do not have a pot plant in my garden, in case you were curious!)
It’s complicated, or course. Marijuana is a powerful drug, and it, like many things (alcohol, prescription painkillers, windsports…) can have a detrimental effect on one’s functioning. On the other hand, marijuana is now legal here south of the (Washington) border, even though it remains illegal under federal law.
But what I find interesting is that naughty feeling I have when I talk about gardening like an Oregonian. Our belief systems tend to change slowly, without regard for laws passed by legislators and cases decided by the (hamstrung) Supreme Court. I wonder how long it will take before there’s no more naughty associated with weed?
This goes even deeper, of course. Our worldview is colored by everything that happened when we were children. That’s how we formed our expectations of how things will play out in the present and future. So, it’s important to notice when our emotions and reactions, like my reaction to talking openly about marijuana, are no longer related to the current state of affairs. As always, this comes back to awareness, to developing the ability to see when there’s a disconnection between your view of now and now as it really is. Play with it today. What’s your take on weed? How does that relate to the current weed reality? How much of your reaction is based on the now, and how much is based on the past? There’s no “right” opinion on weed, there’s just your opinion and the way it was formed. Have fun with that, and have an awesome 420 day!
Disclaimer required by my grad school program: I am not your therapist. 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.
Gorge Weather Forecast
Goodness gracious it’s beautiful out there this morning. Blue sky, light wind, warm enough that your tomato plants aren’t freaking the F out. Expect sunshine this morning followed by convective clouds and a chance of thunderstorms this evening. Temps will be in the upper 40’s early and the low 80’s this afternoon. Light wind early, moderate westerlies in the evening. 17% chance of rainbows and a 98% chance of a spectacular sunset.
Thursday may start off with the remains of convective debris, and if it does, the sunrise will be off the charts. If not, expect partly cloudy to sunny sky all day. Temps will be in the upper 50’s early and the mid 70’s in the afternoon. Moderate west wind. No rainbows. Friday starts off with a deep marine layer, which means we’ll be partly cloudy here in the Gorge. An organized weather system will bring some rain in the afternoon. Temps will be in the mid 50’s early and the low 60’s in the afternoon, down 20 degrees from today, wow. Strong west wind. 67% chance of rainbows.
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
Well… I haven’t been on the trails in a few days, and I suspect there’s some dry dirt out there. I do have a report from Surveyor’s: There are a ton of downed trees. So, that’s no help. If you happen to have a USFS chainsaw certification, check in with your local ranger, Jimmy T, please. In other news, I believe I figured out the best way to get to downtown Portland from Wyeth via bicycle yesterday. I highly recommend you do that ride one of these days, even if you just go from Wyeth to Crown Point. It’s spectacular. And if you go all the way to Troutdale (I learned this yesterday), keep an eye out for the natural spring water source (it’s a random pipe gushing water) about ¾ of a mile from the end of the downhill into the Sandy River Valley. Helpful to know about on a long ride!
Upcoming Events
Today’s events include free yoga at the Heartgate Sanctuary in Oak Grove at 8:30, ping pong at the Hood River Armory at 5:30, the Post n’ Pinot Women’s mountain bike ride at Dirty Fingers bikes at 5:30, and a moonlight snowshoe tour at Timberline at 7:30. Speaking of moonlight, the Lyrids meteor shower happens over the next several days, so if you’re up late, keep your eyes on the eastern sky. The moon will impact your viewing, but it’s worth giving it a shot.
If you’re thinking about next weekend, it’s Earth Day weekend. There are at least 6 work parties at local parks: Hood River’s Waterfront Park, Ainsworth, Rooster Rock, Mayer Park, the Indian Creek Trail, and the EasyCLIMB trail . Also next weekend, on Sunday, Anson’s Bike Buddies will be taking used bike donations on Sunday, whether those bikes work or not, at Cascade Eye Center from 10-3.
Have an awesome day today!
Temira
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