Hello sailors!
Hey. Californians. Please take back your smoke. Thank you.
The rest of you, well, I don't quite know what to say today. I'm convinced that California's smoke amounts to a grand cloud seeding experiment, and that we're getting storms because of it. These thunderstorms are making wind conditions unpredictable. Right now it's blowing zero at my house on the Heights and it's blowing 23 at the Hatchery. Here's what I said for the radio today:
"With upper flow southerly today, gorge west winds do nothing to clear the smoke. Thanks to weak high pressure protecting us from an evil offshore low, west winds continue . Marine clouds crawled into the western gorge overnight, setting up decent pressure gradients. Morning winds will be into the 21-24 range. The midday lull rules the gorge midday, and thermals take over late with 22-25 at Doug’s in the evening."
That seems fine, especially with a .13 gradient going, but I have to throw this in: Stay west of the thunderheads. They pull the wind off the surface, and will leave you swimming.
Tomorrow WAS looking good, but now it looks like the ULL will take over:
"The incorrigible upper level low dominates the picture Wednesday. Despite a solid marine deck, Winds start out light. We may see a decent thermal push in the afternoon with upper teen to low twenties wind in the corridor, perfect for kiting, now that the invisible sandbar is visible."
Looks like high pressure might return to the coast Thursday. This, combined with the ULL leaving the picture, should make for a better day in the Gorge. More importantly, my secret Parkdale strawberry patch will be ready for picking on Thursday. Strawberries win out over winds up to 25 miles per hour in my world.
Anyway, I really need a cup of coffee.
Have a good day!