Ideal summer is finally in the Pacific NW. Congratulations to Jeanne and Evgeniy Goussev and the team on Gray Wolf for winning the 2023 R2AK, tough race and they trounced the competition! An outstanding example of planning, execution, and seamanship.
Once again, we are so lucky to be living in the Pacific NW. We just have to balance the weather with the very high cost of living, increasing gun violence, and failing infrastructure. Most of the country has the same problems but with terrible and dangerous weather. Our great weather will hold well into next week while the rest of the country will continue to suffer. Did I mention Hurricane season? It won’t affect us however the waters where these form are extremely warm and will continue to warm as the summer goes on even though the days are getting shorter.
Today’s pattern is very similar to what we’ve had recently with weak high-pressure offshore and a weak trough of low-pressure inland. This will keep the onshore flow we’ve had in place for at least the next week.
The surface analysis chart, today’s 500Mb, and the sat pic show just how lucky we are to be where we are on the Salish Sea. The sat pic shows the coast to be well enveloped by a persistent maritime layer (June Gloom) that only briefly clears in the late afternoon. The sat pic and 500MB chart also show a weak upper-level low-pressure system (565MB) right on top of us. With the jet steam well to the north of us, we will be protected from any storm systems coming along as well helping to keep our temps very pleasant.
Plenty of sailing and racing to be done this weekend however conditions will remain light for the central and south Sound while the Strait of JdF will have the usual breeze with small craft advisories and gale warnings at times. There will be some onshore flow that will make it down the Sound late on Saturday and Sunday.
Enjoy the weekend, use the sunblock, and stay 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)