Qualicum wind Info
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rvanderbyl
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Qualicum wind Info
A little info about Qualicum winds we experienced today at San Pareil-Old_Salt:Willy:
Every time I travel the east side of Vancouver Island, between Nanaimo and Comox/Campbell River, those winds see me coming and I get Pasted - always right on the beam. Sometimes you are lucky and get a forecast that gives you prior warning, and then, sometimes you just get hammered as you are passing through that Alberni Inlet wind funnel. I always end up thinking, "I really don't want to be here!".
Here is a description / explanation
There is one more wind that occurs within this range of pressure-slopes and that is southwesterlies. This could be said to be the key, or signature wind, of these pressureslopes. Southwest winds occur in two different weather patterns. The most well known southwest wind is called the “Qualicum” for it pours out through Port Alberni Inlet and over the community of Qualicum, then into the Strait of Georgia. A true Qualicum wind occurs when a ridge of high pressure develops along the west side of Vancouver Island. Typically this occurs just ahead of a front that is approaching northern Vancouver Island. Southwest winds may also occur with pressure rises behind the front, but in thissituation the southwest winds are not limited to the valley near Qualicum, but can occur over much of southern Strait of Georgia. The strength of a true Qualicum is typically near 25 knots while the southwest winds that occur behind a front will vary with the strength of the rising pressure behind the front. The strongest southwest winds occur with the strong pressure rises that can occur just behind a low that passes directly over southern Vancouver Island.
Every time I travel the east side of Vancouver Island, between Nanaimo and Comox/Campbell River, those winds see me coming and I get Pasted - always right on the beam. Sometimes you are lucky and get a forecast that gives you prior warning, and then, sometimes you just get hammered as you are passing through that Alberni Inlet wind funnel. I always end up thinking, "I really don't want to be here!".
Here is a description / explanation
There is one more wind that occurs within this range of pressure-slopes and that is southwesterlies. This could be said to be the key, or signature wind, of these pressureslopes. Southwest winds occur in two different weather patterns. The most well known southwest wind is called the “Qualicum” for it pours out through Port Alberni Inlet and over the community of Qualicum, then into the Strait of Georgia. A true Qualicum wind occurs when a ridge of high pressure develops along the west side of Vancouver Island. Typically this occurs just ahead of a front that is approaching northern Vancouver Island. Southwest winds may also occur with pressure rises behind the front, but in thissituation the southwest winds are not limited to the valley near Qualicum, but can occur over much of southern Strait of Georgia. The strength of a true Qualicum is typically near 25 knots while the southwest winds that occur behind a front will vary with the strength of the rising pressure behind the front. The strongest southwest winds occur with the strong pressure rises that can occur just behind a low that passes directly over southern Vancouver Island.
Why aren't YOU out there?
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rvanderbyl
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nanmoo
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On several occasions I have anchored in False Bay on Lasquetti (faces West towards Qualicum) in calm seas, only to be woken in the night by 3 foot swells rolling in on the tail end of a Qualicum Wind, it usually dies out by 3 or 4 am. As such I hate those Qualicum winds.
Don't forget to bring a towel!
