I wish I had access to a similar picture fore other areas to the south and east of this frame, that gives excellent information of the winds. One of the more important areas is th coast south of this picture because the wind blows from NNW usually but often dies before reaching Santa Cruz, down the coast. On MWF the UP runs an up to 30 car "cement train" north to Davenport and back to Watsonville to supply the large CEMEX cement plant with coal and return with as many loaded cement hopper cars..
Just the same, many tourists don't realize that riding north obscures their view of to the surf by being on the inland lane where the coast is steepest and most beautiful. They are mostly unaware that wind usually is in their faces traveling north into a NNW wind. The Palo Alto - San Gregorio - Davenport - Santa Cruz - loop returning on HWY 9 and Skyline Blvd is one of my regular favorites with much of HWY 9 in a redwood forest.
I often see heavily laden tourists pedaling in low gears northward on the inland side of the coast highway, some with trailers.
In article <48604c17$0$17215$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net>, jobst.brandt@stanfordalumni.org writes:
Coast route to Santa Cruz
I wish I had access to a similar picture fore other areas to the south
and east of this frame, that gives excellent information of the winds.
One of the more important areas is th coast south of this picture
because the wind blows from NNW usually but often dies before reaching
Santa Cruz, down the coast.
Maybe that's from that semi-permanent, rotating low pressure air mass located just off the coast, that sends cool SE winds via Colorado into the Pacific Northwest.
In summer, we usually get a high-pressure, offshore ridge along the coastal waters, which, coupled with a more northerly Jet Stream, usually protects us from those onslaughts, and allows a little bit of the warmer Prevailing Westerlies to sneak through onto land. Not this year (so far.) The Jet Stream is still dipping deeply southward along the coast, and the Pacific Northwest always seems to be on the wrong side of it.
I've noted a great dearth of flying insects so far this spring/summer, and I opine it's largely due to current weather. There should be many more bees, dragonflies & butterflies about. It's simply been too cold & wet for them to flourish.
cheers, Tom -- Nothing is safe from me. I'm really at: tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca
I wish I had access to a similar picture for other areas to the
south and east of this frame, that gives excellent information of
the winds. One of the more important areas is th coast south of
this picture because the wind blows from NNW usually but often dies
before reaching Santa Cruz, down the coast.
Maybe that's from that semi-permanent, rotating low pressure air
mass located just off the coast, that sends cool SE winds via
Colorado into the Pacific Northwest.
I don't understand what Colorado, located two major mountain ranges
east has to do with coastal winds shown on the "streaklines" map.
I live in Vancouver, BC. Our winds come from the SE via Colorado, and from west over the Pacific Ocean (gentle sea breezes, but sometimes Pineapple Express, especially during El Nino years,) and in the winter, from the arctic north. In warmer months we also get occasional easterly outflow winds when the sun is setting.
In summer, we usually get a high-pressure, offshore ridge along the
coastal waters, which, coupled with a more northerly Jet Stream,
usually protects us from those onslaughts, and allows a little bit
of the warmer Prevailing Westerlies to sneak through onto land. Not
this year (so far.) The Jet Stream is still dipping deeply
southward along the coast, and the Pacific Northwest always seems to
be on the wrong side of it.
What region is affected by the phenomena to which you refer? I'm
unclear on where you ride.
Vancouver, BC. Basically, what Americans term "The Pacific Northwest." We get the northern influence of that rotating offshore airmass to which I referred, while you Californians get the southern influence of it. The high pressure ridge that should exist right now develops in the Georgia Strait, between Vancouver Island and the mainland.
I've noted a great dearth of flying insects so far this
spring/summer, and I opine it's largely due to current weather.
There should be many more bees, dragonflies & butterflies about.
It's simply been too cold & wet for them to flourish.
Where are you making these observations? I haven't noticed any dearth
of insects.
You enjoy the good fortune of being on the good side of the Jet Stream, which for much of this year has been forming a deep 'U' down the west coast of North America. At this time of year, it normally goes more-or-less straight across the continent (up to the Great Lakes region,) well above the 49th parallel.
When we're on the north side of the Jet Stream, the weather is cooler and wetter. When we're on the south side, the weather is warmer and drier.
cheers, Tom
-- Nothing is safe from me. I'm really at: tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca
Mike Jacoubowsky 24 June 2008 08:58:22 [ permanent link ]
Just the same, many tourists don't realize that riding north obscures
their view of to the surf by being on the inland lane where the coast
is steepest and most beautiful. They are mostly unaware that wind
usually is in their faces traveling north into a NNW wind. The Palo
Alto - San Gregorio - Davenport - Santa Cruz - loop returning on HWY 9
and Skyline Blvd is one of my regular favorites with much of HWY 9 in
a redwood forest.
I often see heavily laden tourists pedaling in low gears northward on
the inland side of the coast highway, some with trailers.
Jobst Brandt
Or, if you would rather avoid the part of Highway 9 that gets the worst traffic, you can do what I did yesterday. Up Old LaHonda, out to Pescadero, Cloverdale, up Bonny Doon (but only after an excellent lunch at Whale City Bakery in Davenport) to Empire Grade, down Jamison Creek, up China Grade and then 9 to Skyline, then north to Sky Londa and back down 84. You still benefit from the tailwinds on the coast. Yesterday the fog hung a mile or two off the coast creating what looked like a very ugly sea. The part close to land was a nice blue, while it was an very unnatural gray a bit further out.
We bought drinks from the Golf Club in Boulder Creek before ascending China Grade, taking note of an ambulance turning in to tend to a golfer who apparently found it a bit too much exercise going from his motorized cart to the tee. The regulars seem to regard it as nothing noteworthy.
Some day when I'm brave enough I'll tackle Last Chance road into Big Basin.
--Mike Jacoubowsky Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReaction.com Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA
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