Clearly, it has been a week of transition as we move inexorably closer to fall. We still have a medium strength high (1031MB) in the mid-Pacific and two very weak low-pressure (1013MB) systems off the coast to the northwest of us. This will result in a weak onshore flow over the weekend. By Sunday we’ll have a weak frontal system off the coast which will bring pre-frontal conditions to the Salish Sea and perhaps some rain by Sunday night into Monday.
Click any image to enlarge.
For boaters on Saturday, this pattern will mean 10-12 knots of southerly for the central and south Sound and very light conditions for the eastern and central Straits. Sunday the wind strength will be about the same but from the southeast as the next front approaches. In the morning hours, the SE breeze will be up to 15-20 knots in the northern part of Admiralty Inlet and the eastern part of the Straits. As this weak front approaches expect the breeze to ease over the entire area.
As always, check the VHF weather radio for conditions along your route before you leave. It’s the time of year where conditions can change rapidly.
Bruce has raced and cruised the Pacific Northwest his entire life. He earned a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Washington in Biological Oceanography and learned meteorology “to keep from getting kicked around on the race course.” Bruce spent nearly two decades as Associate Publisher for Northwest Yachting Magazine, retiring in mid-2015, and was the chairman of the board of trustees for the Northwest Marine Trade Association in 2014. (photo of Bruce driving Playstation is a bit dated, but cool)