It's the 4 month check-point in our 8 month season. We are windsurfing and kiteboarding during interesting times. These are changing times. Take notice of the weather patterns. During a normal June/July we would see a polar depression originate over Alaska, move across Canada, and then down over the Great Lakes Region about once a week. These systems normally bring us excellent wind. This year I have only seen one solid polar depression form, cross Canada, and bring us solid wind in the GLR. It's different this year. There are really no solid cold fronts. Even the one polar depression that DID bring us wind did NOT have a cold front associated with it as it was too far north and accompanied by high pressure to our south which pushed even further north.
With a warming Earth we are seeing different weather patterns. Stubborn high pressure over Greenland is blocking weather systems from moving through Canada while it forces the jet stream to buckle. The wind has been decent...but it's different. June and July were decent wind months, with a total of 32 sessions on an approximate average size windsurfing sail of 5m. That's a 5m session about every other day. It's decent, right? Nothing great, but decent. It's a few more sessions than usual, but less average wind magnitude during those sessions....AND sessions have been a little shorter. The wind has NOT lasted as long during each session. AND, you had to drive a little further to get those sessions. The wind is not as broad reaching. The wind is coming from different weather systems. The arctic temperatures are at all time highs. There is less sea ice, less reflection of sunlight. Things are warming. I don't know what this will do long-term to our wind in the GLR. My gut feeling is that we will get less frequent sessions with higher magnitude winds, in the sessions we do get, because storms will be more intense...however, that presumption is dead wrong this summer. We have been getting slightly more days of wind with lower average wind magnitude, and you had to drive further. I only had one solid 4.2m session in all of July. Usually we get several 4.2m sessions in July. Autumn, however, could be a different story. Last autumn intensified to several days of near 50mph winds. I would not be surprised at all to see a repeat this year. Get ready to downhaul your 2.9m sails hard. They are not easy to hold down in 50mph wind.
Now look at the Outer Banks of North Carolina. This time of year they are getting their usual south winds....BUT, it has been extra good. Since we are not getting the polar depressions dipping south out of Canada into the GLR, the Bermuda high is staying put off the coast of North Carolina. I'm not saying we should all move to OBX....BUT.....lol....it's not a bad idea.
There is no way to predict exactly how this will affect our winds in the GLR over the next couple years, but things are definitely different. Watch the models like a HAWK. STUDY THEM! Check at least 10-15 different models during the day. Check them often. Check them in detail and cross-compare them. Don't be afraid to drive 2 hours for wind. Don't be afraid to rig 3 or 4 sails. Don't be afraid to try new places where you have to walk a quarter mile to the beach....just get a set of wheels. Watch the meters carefully. Tracks patterns in a spread sheet like a professional would do. Watch air temps, clouds, CAPE's, precipitation, and fronts. There will be sessions to be had....we just have to find them. Go the extra mile and you WILL find wind...LOTS OF IT!!!! Love the wind and it will love you back.
With a warming Earth we are seeing different weather patterns. Stubborn high pressure over Greenland is blocking weather systems from moving through Canada while it forces the jet stream to buckle. The wind has been decent...but it's different. June and July were decent wind months, with a total of 32 sessions on an approximate average size windsurfing sail of 5m. That's a 5m session about every other day. It's decent, right? Nothing great, but decent. It's a few more sessions than usual, but less average wind magnitude during those sessions....AND sessions have been a little shorter. The wind has NOT lasted as long during each session. AND, you had to drive a little further to get those sessions. The wind is not as broad reaching. The wind is coming from different weather systems. The arctic temperatures are at all time highs. There is less sea ice, less reflection of sunlight. Things are warming. I don't know what this will do long-term to our wind in the GLR. My gut feeling is that we will get less frequent sessions with higher magnitude winds, in the sessions we do get, because storms will be more intense...however, that presumption is dead wrong this summer. We have been getting slightly more days of wind with lower average wind magnitude, and you had to drive further. I only had one solid 4.2m session in all of July. Usually we get several 4.2m sessions in July. Autumn, however, could be a different story. Last autumn intensified to several days of near 50mph winds. I would not be surprised at all to see a repeat this year. Get ready to downhaul your 2.9m sails hard. They are not easy to hold down in 50mph wind.
Now look at the Outer Banks of North Carolina. This time of year they are getting their usual south winds....BUT, it has been extra good. Since we are not getting the polar depressions dipping south out of Canada into the GLR, the Bermuda high is staying put off the coast of North Carolina. I'm not saying we should all move to OBX....BUT.....lol....it's not a bad idea.
There is no way to predict exactly how this will affect our winds in the GLR over the next couple years, but things are definitely different. Watch the models like a HAWK. STUDY THEM! Check at least 10-15 different models during the day. Check them often. Check them in detail and cross-compare them. Don't be afraid to drive 2 hours for wind. Don't be afraid to rig 3 or 4 sails. Don't be afraid to try new places where you have to walk a quarter mile to the beach....just get a set of wheels. Watch the meters carefully. Tracks patterns in a spread sheet like a professional would do. Watch air temps, clouds, CAPE's, precipitation, and fronts. There will be sessions to be had....we just have to find them. Go the extra mile and you WILL find wind...LOTS OF IT!!!! Love the wind and it will love you back.
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