And So It Starts

Despite the amazing variety of weather so far this winter, up until now we haven't had what I consider the "classic" Gorge inversion event. This is the only type of weather in Hood River that I really really dislike. Day after day after boring day of gray nothingness overhead, draining all color from the world. Nothing but gray everywhere. In fact, more shades of gray than one would think possible. Cold daily temperatures that might vary 3 degrees in 24 hours (if we're lucky).

The only escape (and an ultimately necessary one) is up in elevation through the cloud layer, or west, where the east wind usually blesses Portland with sunshine and a substantial wind chill.

No need to go into the how or why of extended inversion events; that's been done quite well by others. Temira has an article on inversions from the local perspective, Cliff Mass has written Inversion 101, a more general primer on the subject, and Mark Nelsen has insightful inversion posts on his weather blog.

So far, this inversion event (only 2 days old so far) has featured some remarkable temperature variations as one goes up in elevation. Low 30's in town, mid to upper 50's in the Parkdale/Upper Valley area, and amazing multiple temperature layers at the ski resorts, from base to top. Springtime ski conditions in January!

Current predictions are for this inversion to last maybe a week, and then... either more inversion, arctic air, snow.... take your pick. Extreme winter weather typically ends by mid February, as do inversions, so we've got about 4 more weeks of one of the most interesting winters here in memory.

This time lapse Gorge video might not be exactly an inversion event (one seen from above?), but you get the idea. Beautiful above, downright evil below...