Ballenas Wind Report

G

Gomphus

Member
Do these wind readings look strange to you?

SistersIsl 14:00 SE 32 14.0 1014.0 - EC Aug.10,14:15
CapeLazo 14:00 SE 30 EC Aug.10,14:11
ChromeIsl 14:00 SE 25 EC Aug.10,14:11
EntranceIsl 14:00 SE 24 14.0 EC Aug.10,14:14
Ballenas 14:00 SE 11 14.0 EC Aug.10,14:12

Many times this summer I've looked at the Ballenas numbrs and thought I should have been out and this while there was a wind warning. I had heard that the reports from Ballenas had the winds at too low a value.

This is just outright dangerous. It would be better if they suppressed the numbers from Ballenas until they can get more accurate readings.
 
Agree 100% it has been broken a while. Im fishing out there in 20knt winds come in and look at it reading 5 knts. Its blowing like %&% out there right now 25-30 knts. My uncle told me to call it in but im not sure who to contact. People plan their trips around that reading and its unfair to read 5 knts and get ready only to not be able to leave the harbour.
 
I think it was around about a week ago that I first noticed the reporting seemed inaccurate. I thought I had noticed that there were missing reports for a while before that. I think they know they have a problem but just could care less if they tell anyone.
 
The wind speeds in my first posting are in knots.

So 23 kph is 12.42 knots. A strong wind advisory is 20 knots. Right now environment canada is showing a wind of 10 knots and Kelly suggests it is 25-30 knots.

All of the sites obtain their information from the station at Ballenas. Some convert it from knots to kph. The conversion is 1.852, or 0.54 to convert kph to knots.
 
I have never boated around Ballenas, but a quick search off Google suggests the Lightstation is on the Northwest tip of the Island. The pictures I saw show a significant rise behind the lighthouse or to the Southeast. The anemometer that measures wind speed is usually on a tower elevated no more than 20 feet off the ground. Therefore it is possible that the automated weather station is shielded by the terrain to some degree from a southeast wind. The reading would then be lower than the forecast. For those of you that follow the readings are they also significantly lower for a northwest wind? Unfortunately the installation of these stations are limited by terrain and the location of the islands they are put on. A similar situation occurs at Chatham Point, where EWOS (Estimated Wind Over Sea) is/was reported in the past. Farther up Johnstone Strait by Sayward, Helmecken is shielded from the Northwest Wind and will read significantly lower than Fanny Island, yet they are with 5 miles of each other.
 
It is on the NW corner but the area with the reading still gets hit by a SW and as already said even when it was blowing NW the readings were off. Its reading about 1/3 of the windspeed lately
 
It is on the NW corner but the area with the reading still gets hit by a SW and as already said even when it was blowing NW the readings were off. Its reading about 1/3 of the windspeed lately
 
You guys that use it are the experts. I'd start here if you are not satisfied with the reports. It is the Vancouver office of Enviroment Canada. Good Luck.

Communications
401 Burrard Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
V6C 3S5
Telephone: 604-664-9100
Fax: 604-713-9517
Email: greenlane.pyr@ec.gc.ca
 
You guys that use it are the experts. I'd start here if you are not satisfied with the reports. It is the Vancouver office of Enviroment Canada. Good Luck.

Communications
401 Burrard Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
V6C 3S5
Telephone: 604-664-9100
Fax: 604-713-9517
Email: greenlane.pyr@ec.gc.ca
 
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