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jgda
Joined: 19 Jul 1999
Posts: 133
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 Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2020 12:18 pm Post subject: why are they dumping so much water this year? |
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| Seems like a normal snowpack and rain year. Why are the dams dumping so much water? Water flow last year this time was below 200, now it is at or above 300?
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windfind
Joined: 18 Mar 1997
Posts: 1901
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| Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2020 12:42 pm Post subject: Re: why are they dumping so much water this year? |
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| jgda wrote: | | Seems like a normal snowpack and rain year. Why are the dams dumping so much water? Water flow last year this time was below 200, now it is at or above 300? |
Hi jgda,
A large part of the problem is that we are in the early phase of a La Nina pattern. This means wider N-S swings in the pattern of upper trough and upper ridges inbound from the Pacific all the way from Korea to the Pacific Northwest.
So in March and April we had lingering upper ridges that created prolonged periods blue skies and warm temp. That created faster snowmelt in Canada and the Pacific Northwest so more runoff coming down the river.
Then in part of May and June we had upper troughs that steered low-pressure systems and rain our way that was sometimes heavy in the mountains. So we have rain runoff and even more snowmelt so stronger water flow.
We will probably have more such swings this summer which in theory means more days out east but UP AND DOWN and unstable clouds in the corridor. Alternating with more heatwaves.
But La Ninas tend to be very variable in local effects so... who knows.
The image below shows what the Pacific looked like in early June. Pretty dismal pattern unless you like lots of rain in June.
Mike Godsey
iwindsurf.com/ikitesurf.com
Weatheflow.com
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jgda
Joined: 19 Jul 1999
Posts: 133
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| Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2020 1:13 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks so much! I guess one stays on top of the water when sailing, which I can do most of the time, but I am getting older... 
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jgda
Joined: 19 Jul 1999
Posts: 133
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| Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2020 1:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks so much! I guess one stays on top of the water when sailing, which I can do most of the time, but I am getting older...
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windfind
Joined: 18 Mar 1997
Posts: 1901
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| Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2020 6:57 pm Post subject: |
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Looking at the image I should have mentioned that of the many surface low pressure storms you see out in the Pacific had an upper trough at ≈ 18,000 ft. above that was steering and augmenting the surface low pressure.
Think of it this way... for the Gorge the surface low pressure storms bring southerly wind, rain and clouds from the coast into the corridor and sometimes beyond. While the upper troughs bring cooler air and strong southerly wind just aloft that help the winds out east.
Lastly, since the White Salmon River gets much of its water from lava tubes rather than runoff it rarely gets blown out with silt, unlike the Hood River. But several times this season I have seen it really brown and high. That gives you a hint of all the runoff we have been seeing.
Mike Godsey
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30knotwind
Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 239
Location: White Salmon, WA
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30knotwind
Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 239
Location: White Salmon, WA
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windfind
Joined: 18 Mar 1997
Posts: 1901
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| Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2020 9:57 am Post subject: |
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| 30knotwind wrote: | There was a new court ruling to help save salmon so they may be moving water to keep it cooler.
"The Clean Water Act prohibits temperature in the Columbia River from exceeding 68 degrees." |
Hi 30knotwinds,
I am sure in late July when the water really warms up that ruling will impact flow. But back on June 21 when the thread question was poised the water temp was only 61F so it is unlikely they were releasing the water for that reason. And even today, June 27, the 63F temp would not trigger a salmon water release. (See graph of water temps below)
But the Hood River is still blown out even without a major heat wave so the rivers are still pumping a lot of water into the Columbia.
Mike Godsey
iwindsurf.com/ikitesurf.com
Weatheflow.com
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gmclean
Joined: 08 Mar 2001
Posts: 91
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| Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2020 8:38 am Post subject: |
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| Canadian snowpack was way above normal this year and is finally melting out.
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westender
Joined: 02 Aug 2007
Posts: 1288
Location: Portland / Gorge
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| Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2020 11:31 am Post subject: |
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| Really tired of the Chop suey!
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