Hey!
On June 9 I will be making a presentation to Council on why Energy prices have gone through the roof, and why they’ll stay up there… and what Port Alberni could do about it.
I’ve posted my narrated slideshow on my blog at www.murkyview.com
Please check it out and post any feedback you might have here or at murkyview.
UPDATE Friday May 30, 2008: I’ve added a “Monthly Text Summary” and “Daily Text Data” link under the Forecast. Click them! I think you’ll like them. You can find previous days and months under the Weather Archive. The Year and Monthly summaries has averages, highs, and lows and other data for each day of the month so far. The Daily file records the raw data every 5 minutes as it is archived in the weather software.
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11 responses to “Presenting to Council on Peak Oil and Transition Towns”
I am a windsurfer…….and so am wind obsessed..which led me to your site. I live in Nanaimo but like to go to Port Alberni when it gets windy. Sometimes we go right off the Harbour Quay. Keep up the good work. You seem to have 2 sites? Are the wind readings a few blocks off the water? So do you think they would be close to the water readings? How about a flag? Your links led me to the harbour quay readings which I assume are right at the restaurant? Thanks
Hi Ralph!
The only other site I have is http://www.murkyview.com
The site you are referring to down at the Harbour Quay is run by A-Channel/UVic. It’s at http://www.islandweather.ca or http://www.nanaimoweather.ca … funny.. great minds think alike on website names I guess. 🙂
The station down at the HQ is on the post right outside the Doughnut Shop, so just on the pier by the fireboat.
My site (house) is about 6 blocks off the water… generally my peak wind readings around 5-10kph below the peak at the Harbour Quay and I suspect you could add another 5-10kph for on the water/inlet itself especially down at China Creek/Nahmint
Glad to have you! We definitely get more wind here than I even realised growing up in Port. I lived in the bush though so didn’t really notice.
Cheers.
Chris
Thanks for the info. I thought you had 2 sites as there are 2 spots on the google map. we sail at McTush sometimes as we think it is windier. I think it is probably windiest up by the point about 1km or so 1/2 way between China Creek and town. Any ideas how to get there from the McTush side? On your Transition idea …how about a webcam at harbour Quay to watch the tall ships and draw attention to your beautfiul waterfront that nobody knows about. Might even attract a few windsurfers.
Oh.. there is another guy with a weather station up by Glenwood Center.
This is his website:
http://zepplin.dyndns.org:8080/index2.html
Ya there are some very windy parts down the inlet there. I’m not sure the best ways to get there from the McTush side. I’m more familiar with the China Creek side.
I agree, a webcam showing the Harbour Quay would be pretty cool. I have a contact at the City, I’ll run it by them.
I actually submitted a proposal for a wind turbine at Harbour Quay but was rejected. 🙁
To answer the question about wind surfing conditions, try http://www.bigwavedave.ca
I think most of his stuff is for both coasts of the island, but some of the maps and forecasts may give good enough hints for more local areas.
As long as you are not chopping up any windsurfers, the wind turbines are a great idea.
Had a great day at the quay yesterday 64 kph!
Just checking out your webcam to see if a thermal will set up today. The webcams are great cause we don’t burn gas unless it’s windy…so congrats on your contribution. I check out bigwavedave all the time. Lots of weather info on there.
haha, the only chop would be on the water I hope. 🙂
Question:
How can you tell if a thermal will set up?
Yesterday was crazy windy… was going to do some yardwork outside after the kids went to bed at 7 but decided against it! Was gettin’ blown over!
It was sure nice going to bed at just after 10 and there still being some light in the sky!
Marine layer on the west coast and hot in the Alberni Valley. The further the fog comes down the Alberni Canal the bigger the wind like yesterday.
Plus if a westerly /south westerly pressure slope sets up see ec pressure slope on latest reports on Bigwavedave.ca which is a link to the georgia basin pressure slope on environment canada then it should be bigger. Right now the pressure slope shows an an inflow at Barkley Sound and an outflow on the other side of the island at Qualicum Beach. I guess that should set up the Qualicum wind? (actually just checked ec forecast and they are calling for sw at Qualicum.
If it’s supposed to blow at Gordon’s Beach on bigwavedave forecasts then it seems to be happening at Port if the thermal sets up. The closer to the fog the bigger the wind.
Could have got some kilowatts yesterday! The wind is free.
The foregoing analysis is only a result of spending way too much time on bigwavedave . I have been trying to figure out when it gets windy in Port for years as I have made many trips to find marginal wind, which equals less than 20 knots for us. Many sailors /kiter go to Nitnat but thats another hour for me over logging roads. As it is closer to the ocean it is probably more reliable but I bet it was windier last night at the Quay than at Nitnat. It always blows later in Port too.
Cool! Learn something new everyday!
I’ll have to go check out that pressure slope imagery.
There is gentleman in town working on a couple of webcams. He has secured a sponsor for Victoria Quay to watch the bears at low tide. He is still working on a sponsor /sponsors for Harbour Quay….aparently quite pricey. So there should be one up very soon at Victoria Quay.
P.S. Love the wind!
Awesome new Eve!