Our better-than-average summer will continue this weekend with some areas getting some drizzle tomorrow from a weak but persistent low-pressure system just offshore. This will keep a weak onshore flow over the area, increasing in the Straits tonight as a trough moves onshore. This will be good news for the Northern Century Race as the fleet should have a downwind start in 5-15 knots of SW and a beautiful full moon to sail by.
The rest of the Salish Sea will have light air but sunny conditions on Saturday and light air but cloudy on Sunday. Still better than most of the rest of the USA.
In today’s sat pic you can see how clear it is over our area however right offshore you can see that weak low-pressure system that will bring S-SW breeze to the Northern Century Race. Also visible in the sat pic is the smoke from the fire in northern California. In today’s surface analysis chart you will also note that the Pacific High continues to be weak and unstable as it is now being pushed around by the next low with an attached frontal system coming across the Gulf of Alaska.
As this weak trough moves onshore tonight and through the area tomorrow it will have the effect of easing the pressure gradient over our waters. For the Northern Century Race you will want to finish before 1100hrs Saturday morning or you will spend some time going very slow until the onshore flow comes back down the Straits in the early evening on Saturday.
Tides aren’t terrible for the Race however the lack of a pressure gradient combined with the big ebb on Saturday lasting until Saturday mid-afternoon will stall the onshore flow in the Straits.
Enjoy the weekend, use your sunblock and be safe.
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)
So, we’re sailing down the south end of Haro Strait at around 10:30 2/3 of the way through the fastest Northern Century we have ever sailed, and I joke to my son that we better get going since you said the wind would drop off in an hour. And it did. Almost exactly at 11:30! The wind never totally died, but a took a while to get going again. We were last to finish at around 5:35, which has always been something we wanted to do. So thanks for the great forecast, Bruce! Foulweather Bluff will be on Saturday, October 1st… A forecast would be lovely…