In article ,
writes:
Tom Keats wrote:

Coast route to Santa Cruz

http://sfports.wr.usgs.gov/wind/streaklines.shtml

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