It is not going to be one of the greatest of all time Labor Days but it’s not going to be a washout either and we are certainly not staring Hurricane Dorian in the face like south Florida. What we do have is yet another unusual weather pattern with a weak ridge of high-pressure over the Salish Sea that is sandwiched between a couple of weak low-pressure systems. This will bring a weak onshore flow down the Strait of JdF until another weak frontal system impacts the coastal buffer system and deteriorates. The current surface winds have already shifted to the pre-frontal southeasterly phase along the coast and in the Strait of Georgia. After this system passes another weak high-pressure system will build offshore bringing another weak onshore flow to the area and some warm, summer-like temperatures to the area starting early next week and lasting until next weekend.
August 30 Surface Analysis 
August 31 Surface Forecast 
September 1 Surface Forecast 
Sept 2 Surface Forecast 
September 3 500MB 
September 3 Surface Forecast
Generally speaking, the pressure gradient is going to be very weak and that will result in light air over the area. The other interesting feature is in the 500MB charts which show a persistent cut-off upper level low pressure system which will just hang around giving us cloudy and cool conditions but not a lot of moisture.
Regardless, crabbing is still excellent in the San Juan’s and in the Straits, just be sure to check the regulations to make sure it’s still open in your area.
Enjoy the weekend!
Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.