Forecast Jargon Decoder: August 3, 2024 A broad streamer of dense low fog blankets the coast and Central Bay, but it shrinks to a narrow steamer that only impacts the Crissy winds. A rainy Gulf of Alaska storm crushes the North Pacific High’s surface NW winds against the west coast. So the NW ocean winds…
The eddy off the Golden Gate is larger than when I issued my forecast, so we are seeing early, faster clearing due to the eddy’s SE winds. Despite that I am sticking to my current forecast due to the strong NW winds out past the Farallon Islands (18 miles west Gate). 7:30 AM forecast: A…
Has it ever offended your sense of aesthetics that on days I forecast, some sites have nice tidy tables for the time slot wind values while other tables are ugly and all chopped up time slots? Here is an example of a tiny vs ugly table. There is a reason for this madness. Some sites…
Forecast Jargon Decoder: Saturday, July 27, 2024 Take a look at today’s forecast, especially the mention of winds just aloft: In most of the USA, the winds ≈ 1000 feet aloft (975 MB) barely impact the summer surface winds, but when those winds are near topography, they become turbulent and sometimes swoop down close enough…
Several decades ago it was impossible to forecast when a counter-clockwise eddy would spin up and change the Bay Area summer coast winds from the prevailing mild NW winds to mild SW winds. For wind sports enthusiast the direction of the coast winds determine which launch sites are windy and where the strongest winds will…
Have you noticed the amazing sunrises and sunsets recently in the Bay Area? These 2 photos by Linh at Crissy on July 24 are spellbinding. In the first, the winds have faded, the wings, kites, and sails are being packed away, and wispy marine layer clouds are tiptoeing through the Golden Gate. But just an…
Sun, Jul 21 2024 Forecast looks on track with only the timing of eddies arrival in question. The same pattern continues with solid NW winds from the North Pacific High and strong WNW winds over the Peninsula at ≈ 1000 feet aloft (975 MB). The pressure gradients is split between Sacramento and Stockton but only…
As I write at 10:45 AM on July 12, a tiny eddy is dying between the Golden Gate and Stinson Beach. This satellite animation shows the current winds as the eddy dies. This afternoon, with the eddy gone, mild NW winds reach into the Bay. With a max pressure gradient towards Sacramento, we should see…
The greater San Francisco Bay Area usually has very different wind patterns than the Central California coast and Southern California Coast. But, on Saturday, July 13, a huge eddy impacts the entire region. Sat, Jul 13 2024, Bay Area extended forecast. Note: DAWN PATROL: Very early AM strong winds develop Larkspur/Clark’s Brickyards to Benicia to Benicia…