First, a couple of PSA's.
Tonight, at the Columbia Center for the Arts (3rd and Cascade), watch the Bertolucci movie, "Besieged." Bertolucci is an Italian director whose other movies include "Last Tango in Paris," "The Last Emperor," and "Dreamers." Show starts at 7:30, and admission is a suggested $5 donation. It's not often you get to see a great film on the big screen in HR (unless you own an 80 inch HD TV, in which case, I question your judgment), so get down there and support the film series, or it will be no more.
Tonight is also sailboat racing night. Be on the docks at the Hood River Marina by 5:45 to find a boat needing crew. It's fun, I tell you!
Finally, those crazy-wild Japanese have done it again. Opening this Saturday (in Tokyo) is a bad Japanese drama (that's a movie with a soap-opera-like storyline) about, yes, windsurfing! Check out the Neilpryde-filled trailer (someone should have told them that Hot Sails are way cooler) at...
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http://www.life-tenkimi.jp/movie/index.html
I'm working on having my friends in Japan (I lived there for almost a year, for those of you who don't know) get us a subtitled DVD when it's released.
Okay. Weather stuff.
Our best friend, the North Pacific High, blossomed, like a flower petal blooming (can anyone identify that reference), overnight. With gradients already standing attention at .06, winds climb to sailable strength today. Look for 18-21 by midday in the Corridor, holding 'til evening, as the desert wins the heating race. If clouds linger past noon in Portland (50/50 chance), winds jump to the 22-25 range.
One quick note about the NPH: its presence turns upper level flow NWerly, favoring the Hatchery over the long list of sites where few people sail. Good news, as there haven't been many good Hatch days (that's 4.2 or better, in my book) this year. The Wall also likes NWerly upper flow, but clouds won't push far enough to make that an issue.
Marine clouds retreat tomorrow, leaving Portland with only partial cloud cover in the morning. Even so, the wind tap remains open, with westerlies in the 18-22 range in the corridor.
Friday sees more heating in Portland, and thus less wind in the Gorge. Look for 15-18 for most of the day. If an expected overnight marine push happens early, during the afternoon/evening, look for a quick Doug's/Rowena bump into the mid twenties.
Saturday could be fantastic, as damp marine air invades Portland's inner sanctuary and the desert sweats through another hot day.
However, I'm probably headed to Pistol River, where it's going to blow hard for the foreseeable future. If I go (pretty likely), there will be no forecast tomorrow. I'll do my best to find early-morning internet access while I'm there.
Have a great day on the water today! It good to see wind on the water again!