Weatherflow forecast for San Francisco Bay Area, June 18: Mt. Diablo is already NW 22g31. Strong winds ALOFT always arrive first since they are above the topographic friction and have already scoured out the clouds. The SURFACE NW winds have reached Bodega and the S.F. ocean buoy is now 21g27. In the next few hours,…
If you have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for long, you know that southerly ocean winds in the summer mean a deepening of the Marine Layer Clouds. And with the increasing frequency of eddies and southerly coast winds, it often seems that our fog is becoming thicker despite all the research suggesting that…
We have had frequent, long-lasting eddy patterns in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Today, June 15, one of the longest eddy patterns continues, with southerly coast winds the most reliable Bay winds north of the Bay Bridge. In this first image from June 13, notice how the NPH has shoved a ridge into the…
By now, you’re likely curious about the underlying factors responsible for the persistent occurrence of eddies and southerly winds along the coast. Actually, if you play north of the Bay Bridge, you have probably been too busy enjoying the WSW eddy wind to give it a thought. But if you ply the waters of…
In the last decade, we have seen more days with WSW flow in the Hwy in 92 Gap and the nearby coast range area. These winds, sometimes called “Evil Winds” can mess up the launch site winds. They also make our forecast for good channel winds frustrating. (This recent blog talks about one of the…
Today, Friday, June 11, 2023, it really looks like another “Big Eddy” develops this Sunday. Drop to the bottom of this blog to see how it happens. For background, keep reading: Most of you know that our San Francisco Bay Area wind patterns are changing. The upper-level winds that make up upper ridges and troughs…
Hi Mac, In normal years the battle is between the “good” NW ocean winds that curve through the Golden Gate and become steady WSW winds that go towards Pt. Isabel and Berkeley VERSUS The “bad” winds are triggered NW winds aloft that come over the Nacasio and Fairfax gaps in Marin’s coast range. Those winds turn WNW…
Hi fxop, Great question! For a quick answer to your question about Kerry’s forecast, skip to the bottom. To really understand what is happening, here is some background. Palo Alto is less prone than 3rd. Ave. to that battle between the “Good” wind and the “Bad wind” that can spoil the winds in the sail/kite/wing area, especially at the launch. The forces…
For days now, the San Francisco Bay Area has been blessed or cursed by a counter-clockwise spinning west of the Golden Gate. You love the eddy pattern if you wind/kite/sail at most sites north of the SFO airport. But if you ply the water on the coast or south of the airport, you probably hate…
So, what is causing us to have day after day of strong NW ocean winds AND having a pressure gradient spread between Sacramento, Stockton and towards Bakersfield that is delivering wind to almost every site in the Bay Area? Usually, the North Pacific High stays near us for a few days and the winds are…