The folks on the South Straits Race got off in a bit of light air however the breeze will pick up for them late this afternoon or early evening and then build into the low 20’s from the ESE for the rest of the race. Not bad!
We’ve had some rain this week which for the month keeps us almost near normal. For the year we are still behind by 5.77”. Unfortunately for all you outside Easter egg hunters, it is going to be wet especially on Sunday when we could see 1”+ of rainfall. The upcoming week will a series of wash, rinse, and repeat as we are into a typical wet Pac NW pattern. The bad part of this is the warm temps that are even getting into the mountains and starting to melt our snow pack. Don’t forget about California as they are going to get two more wet systems this week as well.
For boaters there will definitely be wind both Saturday and Sunday especially in the Eastern end of the Strait of JdF. The races out of Anacortes and Port Townsend will definitely be impacted as the fleets could see 25-30 knots of SE breeze with higher gusts. Plan accordingly. The Central Sound and South Sound will see slightly less breeze however be sure to check conditions before you head out.
The other charts of interest today are the upper level, 500MB charts. The flow is slowly changing from zonal to meridional and the jet stream is finally starting to work its way north. This migration will be slowed by the presence of an upper level low pressure system right off our coast. See the 96Hr, April 11th 500MB chart. This system will also serve to keep us in a relatively wet pattern for the upcoming week. So much for getting the lawn mowed. That does however give you the opportunity to check the boat, and re-tie the mooring lines and fenders. Winter isn’t done with us yet.
Have a great weekend and be safe out there!
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)