I decided to go to Mille Lacs yesterday. It was blowing nice all the way up. It was looking very good too on the south end of the lake (you could see big off-shore gusts marking the water up). Of course when I got to Garrison it was blowing a perfectly steady 10kts.
It would have been great with a kite but I didn't have one.
I admired the steadiness of the wind for a bit then got in the van and headed home. There is a small lake a few miles from my house that looks like it would work on a south, Freemont Lake.
It was weedy and mucky. My fin stuck on somthing and I got slammed hooked in and broke my boom.
Mille Lacs is very weird on these early southish winds. I just thought I'd post to let you know to be wary or at least expect a skunking if you go up there this time of year on a south. On the other hand, for me a good 6.5 session there is worth about 3 anywhere else except Duluth or Pepin.
Seems like the places that get the best wave/swell are most fickle.
Mille Lacs south wind blues
Moderator: MK
Sorry to hear about the skunking.
I really think that the differential between water temps and air temps plays a big role on that lake because of the long fetch compared to smaller lakes. A warm 25 mph wind traveling 20 miles spends nearly an hour getting cooled down over cold water... the air mass shrinks a little and the pressure gradient is reduced.
In late summer or fall when those nice cold northwest winds travel over warm water they swell and ROCK.
I think there's some truth in this, but I'm sure not any kind of weather expert.
I really think that the differential between water temps and air temps plays a big role on that lake because of the long fetch compared to smaller lakes. A warm 25 mph wind traveling 20 miles spends nearly an hour getting cooled down over cold water... the air mass shrinks a little and the pressure gradient is reduced.
In late summer or fall when those nice cold northwest winds travel over warm water they swell and ROCK.
I think there's some truth in this, but I'm sure not any kind of weather expert.
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Kevinousdigian
- Posts: 646
- Joined: Thu Nov 28, 2002 10:37 pm
Eric:
I'm sorry it didn't go off for you. I think yesterday was more than just ML effect because the readings in Aitkin, Pine River, and Brainered were good early (8-9) but had dropped off a lot by noon.
I too love sailing Mille Lacs, it's only 1hr 15 min. to Izaty's from work vs 1 hr to cannon or wac. so if I'm driving somewhere besides WB it's worth the trip there EXCEPT last spring I developed the a list of criteria that need to be met before going up there. I do believe there IS a ML effect but I believe it is pretty predictable and it is NOT factored into experimental (based on the designers comments). If it is a cold NWstery it will accelerate the winds especially with warm water. If it is a warm southerly it will attenuate the winds. If there high pressure moving in but the water is cold and the system is not a real cold front it may blow but not as much as 10 miles from lake.
Here are the criteria which should ensure >90% success rate of a good day at ML. Last year these criteria held up for 8 of 8 good days.
- SW to N winds with at least 2 flags predicted
- air temp change of >8 degrees
- pretty clean break - low chance of thunder/heavy rain, a little drizzle ok
- if warm air (not good good temp drop on that day) and cold water then lake will have an effect.
I'm curious what rules of thumb Randy or others have learned over the years. I think there is a general consensus that straight south winds are very suspect for windsurfers.
Kevin
I'm sorry it didn't go off for you. I think yesterday was more than just ML effect because the readings in Aitkin, Pine River, and Brainered were good early (8-9) but had dropped off a lot by noon.
I too love sailing Mille Lacs, it's only 1hr 15 min. to Izaty's from work vs 1 hr to cannon or wac. so if I'm driving somewhere besides WB it's worth the trip there EXCEPT last spring I developed the a list of criteria that need to be met before going up there. I do believe there IS a ML effect but I believe it is pretty predictable and it is NOT factored into experimental (based on the designers comments). If it is a cold NWstery it will accelerate the winds especially with warm water. If it is a warm southerly it will attenuate the winds. If there high pressure moving in but the water is cold and the system is not a real cold front it may blow but not as much as 10 miles from lake.
Here are the criteria which should ensure >90% success rate of a good day at ML. Last year these criteria held up for 8 of 8 good days.
- SW to N winds with at least 2 flags predicted
- air temp change of >8 degrees
- pretty clean break - low chance of thunder/heavy rain, a little drizzle ok
- if warm air (not good good temp drop on that day) and cold water then lake will have an effect.
I'm curious what rules of thumb Randy or others have learned over the years. I think there is a general consensus that straight south winds are very suspect for windsurfers.
Kevin
Kevin Ousdigian
Waconia blues too..
Eric:
I join you in singing the blues. I finally got to Waconia about 3pm yesterday afternoon, and it had just shut off! The folks on the water had been on 4's and 5's up to that point, but the clouds rolled in and shut it down. I waited another hour and a half, bs'n and wishing for some wind, before calling it quits, and returning to finish some leftover work. Sometimes you get skunked, weird thing was it was windy west and east, just not right there from 3-5! Oh well.
Put on some blues and sing..
Rode to the lake in a fever pitch,
ready to rig and ride the b****,
dreams of jumps and rides for all,
but mistress wind frowned with a stall.
Got the South wind blues...
I join you in singing the blues. I finally got to Waconia about 3pm yesterday afternoon, and it had just shut off! The folks on the water had been on 4's and 5's up to that point, but the clouds rolled in and shut it down. I waited another hour and a half, bs'n and wishing for some wind, before calling it quits, and returning to finish some leftover work. Sometimes you get skunked, weird thing was it was windy west and east, just not right there from 3-5! Oh well.
Put on some blues and sing..
Rode to the lake in a fever pitch,
ready to rig and ride the b****,
dreams of jumps and rides for all,
but mistress wind frowned with a stall.
Got the South wind blues...
