Sunday, October 4, 2009
Fall Swell on Big Blue
10/4/09 2pm
As you all know a strong low pressure system dropped down from Canada into the PacNW and then into the Sierra yesterday. Temps stayed on the warm side until the cold front passed through last night. Ahead of the front, the winds were howling, and wind creates waves. Lucky for us we live near a big lake that provides appropriate fetch. So at about 3pm yesterday I made sure I was on the East Shore. Around that time the cold front was making its way over the Crest and into the Tahoe Basin. The winds along the Crest were gusting to 70mph, the winds on the surface of the lake were 35-40mph. Water temps were about 60F and the air temp was still in mid 50s. Put it all together at the Secret Spot on the East Shore and you get 3-4ft waves with occasional 5ft faces at a period of about 5sec. Complete washing machine, but clean faces on the bigger ones. There were actually sets of about 3-4 waves as the stronger gusts pushed all the way across the lake.
10/3/09 ~3pm, @ the Secret Spot, NV
Fall is a great time in Lake Tahoe. The first strong storms to come out of the Gulf of Alaska meet up with really warm air over the Great Basin creating thermal and pressure gradients that result in really strong winds. All you need is a big body of water, time off and a car to get you where you need to be at the right time. For me it took over ten years of living here to finally get the real deal, surfable swell on Big Blue. Finally.
Great. Now it's time for pow, which it is good seeing how today we are getting snow.
Enjoy.
The PortersWeatherGuy
As you all know a strong low pressure system dropped down from Canada into the PacNW and then into the Sierra yesterday. Temps stayed on the warm side until the cold front passed through last night. Ahead of the front, the winds were howling, and wind creates waves. Lucky for us we live near a big lake that provides appropriate fetch. So at about 3pm yesterday I made sure I was on the East Shore. Around that time the cold front was making its way over the Crest and into the Tahoe Basin. The winds along the Crest were gusting to 70mph, the winds on the surface of the lake were 35-40mph. Water temps were about 60F and the air temp was still in mid 50s. Put it all together at the Secret Spot on the East Shore and you get 3-4ft waves with occasional 5ft faces at a period of about 5sec. Complete washing machine, but clean faces on the bigger ones. There were actually sets of about 3-4 waves as the stronger gusts pushed all the way across the lake.
10/3/09 ~3pm, @ the Secret Spot, NV
Fall is a great time in Lake Tahoe. The first strong storms to come out of the Gulf of Alaska meet up with really warm air over the Great Basin creating thermal and pressure gradients that result in really strong winds. All you need is a big body of water, time off and a car to get you where you need to be at the right time. For me it took over ten years of living here to finally get the real deal, surfable swell on Big Blue. Finally.
Great. Now it's time for pow, which it is good seeing how today we are getting snow.
Enjoy.
The PortersWeatherGuy
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