Update video of short wave hitting Gorge & Maryhill

windfind · Joined: 18 Mar 1997 Posts: 1901

Hi Gang,

Here is an update of the shortwave we saw approaching mid day yesterday. The leading edge of the short wave passed over the Gorge about 4PM yesterday which you can see in the satellite video. As this happened the sensors at Maryhill and The Wall went into the 20's despite the 96 degree temps. Those winds should continue to build.

From Yesterday:
Below is a satellite image of the shortwave discussed in my blog. The last image shows the shortwaves location at 11:30 AM today as it closes on the Gorge. The shortwave you see should arrive early Thursday morning and the surface winds ramp up shortly after. Right now it seem a bit behind schedule.

Water vapor satellite imagery shows the water vapor concentrations above 10,000 feet and it gives you a very feel for where the shortwave is located. The actual shortwave winds are located north of the blue area you see moving towards us in the satellite image.

Details here:

http://blog.weatherflow.com/west-coast-wind-blog-dissection-of-how-the-gorge-wind-goes-from-mild-to-wild/

Mike Godsey
iwindsurf.com

windfind · Joined: 18 Mar 1997 Posts: 1901

Maryhill sensor yesterday as leading edge of shortwave passed over and stirred the surface winds.

Mike Godsey

combs · Joined: 01 Apr 1997 Posts: 130

Was sailing at Stevenson yesterday which was great from 3-4pm then it went to crap...Assuming the 3-4pm was ahead of the shortwave? Why the lack of quality pressure after it passed??

windfind · Joined: 18 Mar 1997 Posts: 1901

Hi combs,

The shortwave is several hundred miles wide and is in bands so parts of it were coming over the Gorge much of the afternoon. The effect of the shortwave is really disrupted in the corridor due to all the mountains so the impact on the local winds is sporadic. Hence the winds you experienced. That is also part of the reason the corridor winds will be weird this morning until the marine layer clouds burn back.

Out east the topography is much simpler so the effect of winds aloft are somewhat easier to discern. But even there different sites are more open to different wind directions so surface winds are still hard to forecast.

The image below from 8AM today shows the marine layer clouds have deepened and thrust far inland in response to the shortwave at ≈ 18,000 ft.

Mike Godsey
iwindsurf.com