No question, it is going to be a spectacular weekend over the Salish Sea. The surface chart shows a weak high-pressure system off the West Coast with a central pressure of 1023-1024MB. However, immediately to the west of this high is a weak low-pressure system (990MB) with a long cold front extending south to 30N. Don’t worry, it will have no effect on our weather. Check out the 500MB charts to see why.
14 June 500MB 
14 June Surface Analysis 
15 June Surface Forecast 
16 June Surface Forecast 
17 June 500MB 
18 June Surface Forecast
The good news for TransPac racers is that this appears to be the start of the Pacific High becoming much more summer-like. In the meanwhile, this high will continue to drive an onshore flow down the Strait of JdF resulting in strong westerlies in the Strait in the late afternoon and into the late evening, easing after midnight. The breeze will ease as it comes down Admiralty Inlet and into the Central Sound. The Central Sound wind pattern will be light and variable in the morning, becoming northerly to about 10-knots in the afternoon.
And, there will be plenty of sunshine without the record high temperatures we had earlier this week. In other words, a perfect weekend to be out on the water, with lots of sunblock of course.
Have a good one.
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)