Persistent Wind Equals Poor Boating Conditions

A sprawling area of high pressure has been positioned just northeast of the state the last several days. The flow around it drives a brisk northeast wind into our area. While it has been a cool and breezy week, the conditions are also not ideal for boaters.

Not that we're into October and temps are cooling, folks have been asking me when they should put the boats away for the season. The problem in the short term is that the wind has led to choppy water and some say it's too much to safely get their boats out of local marinas.

In fact, as Hurricane Joaquin heads up the Atlantic, its power and strength are putting a bit of a holding pattern on our weather. Until the tropical storm glides away from the U.S., that high pressure will stay parked over James Bay. That means weather conditions will be similar day in and day out.

With that in mind, The National Weather Service already has Small Craft Advisories posted along the entire shoreline all the way into Sunday.

This is a look at the near-shore forecast. As you get a few more miles out, gale warnings are in place. Waves farther out will be in the order of 10-15'.

The good news is that early next week the wind will finally slack and turn more southerly. High temps will get back into the 60s, an improvement from the chilly 50s the last four days.  As it looks now, the following weekend (Oct 10th-11th) looks much more calm in terms of the wind. Highs should be in the 60s.

I'm meteorologist Rebecca Schuld