Captain Jim's Weather Tips

RANDOM NOTES ON WEATHER

By Captain James F. Barn CD

The old saying, stand with your back to the wind and the high pressure will be on your right side and the low pressure on the left, this and many other old mariners ditties are as true today as they were when there were iron crew and wooden ships. Might do us all good to review some of the old sayings regarding weather.

Vancouver Island..Generally speaking a summer storm in our neck of the woods are fore-run by a front from the south or southwest. These winds will back into the southeast and can usually be identified by an accompanying narrow band of cloud and light rain showers. As this front moves SE the sky will often clear and the rain will stop. However, now keep an eye on your barometer where the pressure will rise and can be as much as 1mb each hour which then produces very strong NW winds which are particularly felt in our area where they are funneled through Barkley Sound. Sometimes we can be caught flat-footed as this front may have little, or no cloud whatsoever. Winds may even drop and the glass steady..... .but, the glass will then jump and the wind will quickly freshen sometimes to gale force.

Watch your barometer, (or communicate with a cruising buddy who has one aboard) and as Ken showed you how.. ..do your own weather after listening to the b'casts. Be more than vigilant when nearing Brooks Peninsula where a phenomena termed 'Status Surge' can cause gale force winds suddenly and will come from the south, the fishermen call it 'fog wind' Forerunners are a rapid air temp drop accompanied by a drifting fog bank from the south. So.. ...since there is little radio warning on this nasty piece of work ..don't let your guard down, snug down and get out the cards.

Hope this helps

Jim

Suggested reading

Environment Canada

Marine Weather Hazards Manual