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jackdale · 30-11-2008, 20:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by newt

Alright you guys, educate me. (please!) This looks like a cold weather hurricane. Why will this one dissipate while the ones in Caribbean get stronger till they hit land? And with the center so low in pressure, how come the winds are not traveling faster? Why aren't these storms tagged and followed like hurricanes?
"Interested sailors want to know"

Hurricanes and hurricane force winds are two different creatures.

NOAA defines hurricanes as
"hurricane" (the North Atlantic Ocean, the Northeast Pacific Ocean east of the dateline, or the South Pacific Ocean east of 160E)

Hurricane forces winds exceed 64 knots.

The winds in this system are not forecast to get much over 50 knots.
Northeast Pacific WX Briefing Package

Hurricanes develop over warm water. Cold water and land cuases them to disspate. Check out a sea surface temperature chart at:

Analysis Charts - Environment Canada

Notice how the temperature drops along the system track.

Hurricane forces winds may develop in the area of the Brooks Peninsula on Vancouver Island, but that is mainly the effect of a very high piece of land sticking out into the Pacific.

Jack

keneatingsalmon · 30-11-2008, 22:51

Oh, I'm watching the storm. I live on the southern end of Baranof Island. Same island Sitka, AK is on and we feel the brunt of these storms. January is when they come through on roughly a 10 day cycle. Wind speeds in our little bay often reach 80 knots. The tall mountains between us and the open Ocean help increase wind speeds by 20-30% of forecasted. When it blows SW here, I will go down to the boat and stay on it for moorage monitoring. I can't sleep anyway in the house thinking of the boats dancing at the docks.

Ken

**s/v Beth** · 02-12-2008, 09:27

Thank you for the reply's, they make sense to me except Ken- I have had 80 knot winds on my Ranch in Wyoming. We found the safest building and my whole family got into the middle and listened to the wind howl. I would not be going down to any docks at that time, but somebody love is greater than mine

keneatingsalmon · 02-12-2008, 17:34

Some extra information to make me a little more sane. The 80 knot winds are out in the bay just a 1/4 mile off of the dock as the wind blows down out of the valley. It's a really strange wind event. Only in a true SW does it funnel through the valley and out of the bay. It looks like little tornadoes growing up out the water and dancing around. The dock winds are more around 50-60 knots. Still a strong wind, but mainly in gusts. The dock gets the wind eddies from a ridge nearby. We can have some 30 knot winds all day and then in just a few minutes the wind blows like crazy as the wind direction and the mountains line up just right. Any time I go down to the dock, I meet one of the other boat owners. We do not like picking boats off of the beach.

Jmolan · 02-12-2008, 18:42

I work in the Bearing Sea year round and have for 25 years. While you never want to play down the weather for your own ego...well we call these lows "onions"...it is a perfect formation really now. And it is starting to get with it. I see tonight the are calling 5 to 8 meter seas and the thing has tightend up on the bands. I was concerned about the one behind it as it can really get with it if they tighten up against each other. It is a windy time of year in the Aleutians. 60 to 100kts of wind is not that uncommon. I have been anchored 1/4 mile off land and had tundra smacking my winshield....:-) all with Wireless internet, XM Radio, and Satalite phones.......:-)

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/nepacificbrief.shtml

delmarrey · 12-12-2008, 17:26

It's 36º F, raining and blowing. I'm waiting for the lights to start flickering.

They say snow tomorrow. We'll see! Anyone wana go sail'n?

Amgine · 12-12-2008, 17:40

Last night NOAA had 50+ feathers off the Columbia River. It took me a couple minutes to look up what that little flag instead of the feathers *meant*; I hadn't seen it since last year around this time.

Stillraining · 12-12-2008, 21:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by delmarrey

It's 36º F, raining and blowing. I'm waiting for the lights to start flickering.

They say snow tomorrow. We'll see! Anyone wana go sail'n?

The wind would be fun you can have the rest...putting parts togather for my storm sail now...cant wait to try it out in 50

Amgine · 12-12-2008, 21:43

Been in that once or thrice. You can have it.

highseas · 13-12-2008, 06:38

I'm getting up to 10 deg. of heel right now,in the gusts,and I'm still tied to the dock!Big outflow is here,add some extra lines.

jrd22 · 13-12-2008, 08:23

I doubled up all the lines yesterday, figured that would probably cancel the wind event. Didn't work, blowing hard from the north this morning, now it's going to get cold, maybe single digits (F) by Monday night.

John

delmarrey · 13-12-2008, 18:08

In regards to the tides here is a typical December day along the B.C. Coast half way between Alaska and Washington.

BTW it's trying to snow down here by the water but not enough cloud cover.

Amgine · 13-12-2008, 19:50

...and I may be heading back there. There was a *lot* of damage from yesterday, and the outflow has the entire cove rocking and rolling. A finger pier has broken half it's connecting hardware, has been tied together with rope which is limiting the perambulations to a degree. I had to re-tie at least two boats which had been temporarily moved last week while the marina was shuffling in some new docks.

My boat was one that had been moved, and I couldn't find it anywhere. I was beginning to panic a bit after helping the owner of the monster CC tie down his again. I decided to check the small boat dock before making any phone calls, and found it there squeezed onto an 18' slip perpendicular to the wave and wind.

It seemed secure enough, on the downwind side of the finger, and they added a couple fenders to join my 4 8.5"ers. But seeing that other finger half broken loose has me very concerned. Will I sleep better on the boat doing the butter churn, or here at home wondering if it's going to break loose?

highseas · 14-12-2008, 21:16

Still blowing 40kn. at the dock,boat is getting tossed,even though I sit in the tiniest body of water.Temp. outside is about minus 20C,boat is warm with electric and propane heat.Huge gusts every minute or so,this could go on for some time.