Wednesday: Mt. Hood’s wild weather

Meet Temira,
your Gorge and Mt. Hood forecaster

For almost 30 years, Temira (they/them) has been making the most of what the Gorge has to offer: riding river swell on a foil or windsurf board, carving fresh lines through the snow, and cycling all the gravel and pavement and trails. This is Temira’s playground, their gym… their life’s work.

That’s why in 2006, Temira took it upon themselves to create the most accurate, hyper-local weather forecasts possible. Inaccurate predictions had left too many fellow adventurers caught off-guard and in harm’s way. Temira was determined to change that. Today, Temira’s forecasts have become an essential resource for thousands of skiers, snowboarders, wind sports enthusiasts and travelers through the Gorge. With their guidance, you can plan ahead, time your sessions perfectly, and stay safer on the water, snow, and trails.

But the story doesn’t end there. Temira also authors the TATAS Facebook page – the Gorge’s premier source for microclimate forecasts. When winter storms, extreme heat, or other hazardous conditions (avalanches on SR-14 and I-84, for example!) threaten, this community lifeline becomes a vital resource for locals and visitors alike, helping to keep everyone safe.

Mt. Hood Snow Forecast

Good morning, skiers and snowboarders! Wow. It was quite the night on Mt. Hood. Meadows reported gusts into the 90s at the top of the Mt. Hood Express lift, and they’re reporting trees down. You can probably assume the same at Timberline and Teacup. Overnight, the resorts picked up about 3/4” rain after picking up about half a foot of snow yesterday morning. Today is probably not the greatest day to ride, although the sun is going to come out. The weather warms up and calms down and dries out for the next couple of days, and then we’re back to snow (mostly) for the weekend. Beyond that: quite the wild ride!

For Wednesday, Mt. Hood’s weather starts with nuking west wind and heavy rain. The rain stops by mid-morning, the wind fades, and the sun comes out. Snow level: 6000′ early, 4500′ around sunrise, 8000′ in the afternoon, and 10,000′ under clear sky overnight. About 0.2” to 0.3” additional mixed precip is expected before the end of the precip. This will transition from rain to snow, but accumulation will be limited at 5000′. Maybe an inch? Wind: W 55 to start, W 35 mid-morning, W 15 in the afternoon, and SW 5-15 after midnight. High winds may affect lift ops in the morning, and downed trees may affect open runs. Snow surface: wet packed snow.

Thursday starts partly high cloudy. Cloud thickness increases during the day. A wee bit of drizzle, less than 0.05”, is possible but not promised in the evening. The snow level will be 10,000′ during the day and 9000′ overnight. Wind: S 5-15 in the morning builds to SW 20-30 in the afternoon and holds overnight. Snow surface: well, it’s likely to snap overnight, so it might just be icy. It really depends on cloud cover overnight: clouds could prevent it from refreezing and keep it softer and slushier. Clouds stick around on Friday, but not much else happens: the free air freezing level will be 9000′ in the morning, 6500′ in the afternoon, and 8000′ after midnight. Wind: SW 15-30.

Saturday starts dry, adds mixed precip briefly, and then transitions to snowfall. The snow level will be 8000′ early, 3500′ in the afternoon, and 3500′ after midnight. About 0.3” WE is forecast during the day for 1-3” new dense snow. Another 0.2” WE is forecast overnight for 2-4” new snow (orographics may help increase the snowfall). Wind: S 15-25 early builds to SW 20-40 in the afternoon, turns to W 45-50 in the evening (may affect lifts), and drops to SW 5-15 after midnight. Sunday’s forecast currently calls for light snow in the morning and heavier snow in the afternoon. Looking deeper into the future, ensembles bounce the freezing level above and below 5000′ with periods of heavy precipitation all the way through the 29th or thereabouts. They then hint at cooler weather. It’s going to be a wild ride for the next 10 days or so. See you out there in the storms!

Gorge Wind Forecast

Hi friends! It’s been quite the morning already watching this weather system come in. We’ll get a wild west wind ride out of it somewhere, hopefully not too early while it’s still dark. After today, it’s back to easterlies for a couple days. Giving precise numbers for today is impossible; models are all over the place. Here’s my best shot: an hour or two of very strong wind between Stevenson and Swell, perhaps to Hood River also. Between Mosier and Doug’s (at least at low elevations), the wind will be much lighter, perhaps 15-20 at most. Between Avery and Boardman, we should see several hours of 28-32+ west wind today. Models do suggest that the far east, east of Rufus, will be the windiest; the ensembles for Pendleton look great. Note that the strongest wind will be early. Don’t wait for it to come up to drive out east, or you’ll miss at least half of it. River flow over the last 24 hours was 89-159kcfs (90-144kcfs at Rufus), river temp is 45.68F, and high temp forecast is 51F and … SUNNY!

Thursday brings easterlies. They start at 35mph at Iwash (Rooster) and fade to 25mph. Stevenson starts at 25mph and fades to 15-20mph. High temp: 46F with Nothing in Hood River and high clouds in the east wind zones. Friday brings stronger easterlies, at least for the morning. Iwash starts at 35-40 and rises to 40-45. Stevenson starts with 25mph and rises to 30-35mph. After noon, the wind speed plummets, and both locations end the day at 15mph. High temp: 44F with Nothing near Hood River and clouds elsewhere. Saturday starts with easterlies and turns light westerly (maybe). Sunday brings moderate easterlies. Have a great day out there. Keep an eye on your buddies.

Very basic Hood River weather forecast

Don’t plan your life around this. You really should read Temira’s Awesome Travel Advisory Service on Facebook for a detailed weather forecast.

Clouds and rain early with partly cloudy sky later. Temps start in the mid 30s and rise to the low 50s. Strong westerlies early. Light westerlies later. 99% chance of rainbows.

Thursday will be Nothing. Temps start in the mid 30s and rise to the low 40s. Easterlies. 0% chance of rainbows.

Friday may have a little drizzle prior to dawn. Otherwise: dry. Nothing. Temps start in the mid 30s and rise to the low 40s. Easterlies. 0% chance of rainbows.

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Cycling Update

Trails have been a mix of frozen, hoar-frost (unrideable), and freeze-thaw. When it’s wet and muddy, or when there are freeze-thaw conditions, please don’t ride, or you’ll do significant trail damage. Then peeps have to fix your mess rather than building new trails. Nobody wants that! Everyone wants new trails. Be a good steward, and pick a different activity

Remember: E-bikes are not allowed on USFS non-moto trails. They are allowed on moto trails.