If there was ever a chance a regatta would live up to its name, it would be this weekend with CYC’s Frigid Digit Regatta. If it had been held today it would have been in the conditions that are typically found the first day a ridge of high-pressure establishes itself; winds of 20-25 knots from the NW with the wind chill just above freezing. As is also typical, the ridge will weaken and go away as another frontal system comes in tomorrow night. This system will dissipate over the area Monday as another frontal system approaches the area Tuesday.
As you look at the surface chart for Saturday you’ll notice quite a gap in the isobars which indicates light air with a pre-frontal characteristic of that wind being from the south. For tomorrow, racers will enjoy brilliant sunshine (yes, sunshine, not a print error), and after the fog burns off,5-8 knots of wind from the south. Depending on how close the race committee sets the course to Shilshole, there will be a slight SE component to the breeze becoming more prominent later in the afternoon. The breeze will also tend to be lighter later in the afternoon. Just don’t forget to apply the sunblock before you leave the house.
Sunday will start with a stronger SE breeze, 11-16 knots, and then gradually ease and shift to the S by around midday. By mid-afternoon, the breeze should be in the 8-10 knot range and slowly shift to the SW as the low starts to dissipate. Oh, and did I mention the possibility of rain mixed with snow? It won’t be much but it will be distinctly cooler.
The other good news for the weekend is that there won’t be extreme tides to deal with:
Saturday Tidal Current at West Point.
0812 Max Flood .49 knts
1230 Slack
1400 Max Ebb .25 knts
1636 Slack
Sunday Tidal Current at West Point
0906 Max Flood .43 knts
1300 Slack
1448 Max Ebb .31 knts
1725 Slack
Have a great weekend, stay safe, stay healthy, and don’t forget that the BIG Seattle Boat Show starts on the 28th of January.
January 22 500 mb 
January 22 Surface Analysis 
January 23 Surface Forecast 
January 24 500 mb 
January 24 Surface Forecast 
January 25 Surface Forecast 
January 26 500 mb 
January 26 Surface Forecast
You can visit the entire show online and then select which boats you would like to virtually tour. If it spooks your mule, you can schedule a call with the dealership to speak with a salesperson who can answer your questions as well as arrange an actual tour of your dream vessel.
There will also be the usual seminars that are included with your ticket and of course, Boat Show University for longer, more in-depth courses. I’ve seen a test version of the Show and it is very cool! Enjoy1
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)