You Can Avoid the Rain! Weather Tips for Biking

There are a number of approaches to dealing with rain

Or the traditional approach…

Rain Jacket, Rain Pants, Booties, Goretex, etc.

Another way to stay dry…

But there is an alternative approach, one that will allow you to bike on most days, even ones

with rain

Weather Radar!

NWS Doppler Radar

Weather Radar Can Change Your Biking Life

• Since the National Weather Service put the Camano Island weather radar in place during the early 90s, I rarely get seriously soaked.

• With a little knowledge of NW precipitation and weather radar, you too can protect yourself.

Weather Radar 101• Weather radars can see where precipitation is falling• Can also tell the intensity of the rainfall• Doppler radars can also determine the air velocity

toward or away from the radar.• Radars can track storms, fronts, and other major

features• An essential tool for the National Weather Service

and other meteorologists.

The National Weather Service has Installed Doppler Weather Radars Across the Country

Interpreting a Radar Image

• Most radar imagery has much in common.

• Intensity of precipitation is color coded (units—dbZ)

Interpreting a Radar Image

• Black (while in some)-no precip

• Grey and pink (5-20)…light rain…not too bad.

• Dark pink to green-moderate rain (20-35)

• Yellows are heavy rain (forget it)

• Reds and high (don’t even think about it)

Interpreting a Radar Image

• Remember the beam can be blocked by mountains and is higher farther from the radar.

• Time below is in UTC (GMT).

• UTC=PDT +7 hr

Important Precipitation Info

• It is RARELY uniform, even on rainy days.

• If you can shift you ride by 10-15 minutes you can often miss the heavy stuff.

• Shift by 30-60 minutes you can usually do so.

• By shifting your recreational ride by 10-20 miles, you can often ride dry, even on a wet day.

Example: 4:48 PM one day: Heavy rain in Seattle…but waiting will be rewarded.

Absolutely Dry

The Best Way to Judge When You Should Go is To Use Radar

Animations

• Available at many web sites: UW, NWS and others! Humans are very good at this.– http://www.atmos.washington.edu/~ovens/loops/

– http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?rid=ATX

Another Great Site: Rainwatch

Rainwatch

But the easiest and best way is get a weather radar app on your

smartphone or pad!

iPhone

Advanced Training for Bicyclists

Showers and Sunbreaks are Your Friends

• After fronts go through we often have showers and sunbreaks. Radar allows you to stay in the breaks!

Showers and Sunbreaks on Radar

The Most Problematic Situation is When a Broad Pacific Front or

Storm is Over UsThe Absolute Worst:Pineapple Express!

Dec 3, 2007

But EVEN THEN, there were dry spots in the rain shadow and some places had less rain

Where to go for that ride?

• Using the weather radar…and high-resolution visible satellite imagery…can tell you where to go for bicycling…even when it is raining in most places.

Puget Sound Convergence Zone: Number One Local Weather Feature

Puget Sound Convergence Zone Radar

Rainshadows: Your Friend

WindwardEnhancement

Rainshadow

Rainshadows

Summary

• Rain is rarely uniform

• You can stay dry (or drier) by slightly changing the time of your bike trip or moving your cycle a few miles.

• Radar animations can provide very useful guidance.

The end

Our Computer Models (all online) Often Can Predict them Way Ahead of

Time