The climate in the Corpus Christi Bay area is
considered subtropical and semi-arid. The mean annual temperature
is approximately 71 F; winters are typically mild, summers are hot, but
cooled by the sea breeze, and temperatures average 56 F and 84 F, respectively.
January, the coldest month of the year, has a mean temperature of 55.2
F. July and August are the hottest months with mean temperatures
between 85 and 86 F. There is an average of 114 clear days
per year. Two principal wind patterns dominate the Texas Coastal
Zone -- frequent, strong southeasterly winds (essentially at any time of
the year but most pronounced in the spring through mid-summer) and
north northeasterly winds associated with cold fronts from October through
March. The prevailing wind for the area originates from the southeast
and has an average annual velocity of 12 miles per hour. During December,
January, and February, 15 to 20 northers pass through the coastal area.
Winds up to 50 miles per hour, and sometimes rain, accompany these strong
24 to 36 hour events. From mid October through March, cold fronts
sweep though the coastal bend about every 7 to 12 days. Winds range
from 20-40+ mph from the N, NE, or NW with water temperatures from 55 to
75 degrees and air temperatures as shown in the charts below. These
north winds are usually gustier than the SE winds, but can be good for
some great sailing if not to cold for you. The north winds are usually
strongest in the mornings. The weak ones can die off by noon, but
the strong ones can blow for three days. The prevailing SE wind will
usually strengthen at least the day before the arrival of a cold front
and can be quite strong. It will usually take one or more days after
the north wind dies for the SE wind to come back.
From April through June, Corpus Christi offers
some of the best all round sailing conditions as the winds become S, SE,
ESE, and strong (20-40+ mph), 2-3 days a week or more. This wind
pattern allows for great bump and jump conditions in the bay, high wind
flat water sailing at Bird Island and in the Laguna Madre, and onshore
wave sailing in the Gulf of Mexico. The prevailing southeast wind
is further strengthened by the thermal winds which develop when the air
over the heated land in west Texas is warmer than the air over the relatively
cooler waters of the gulf. This effect is most pronounced in the
spring and summer when it's hot and dry. When the conditions are
right, we can have planing winds for many days in a row. If it's
cool and wet, we'll have less wind. In the spring, the SE wind strength
for the day is usually evident by 1 PM and usually increases to a peak
at about 3 PM or so. If the SE wind is strong much earlier, it's
likely to be a really windy day. If you are rigging for afternoon
sailing, a safe rule is: don't rig before 1 and don't rig down after 3
PM. In the summer, the land/water temperature differential becomes
smaller; and it takes longer for the thermals to develop. Planing
winds may not develop until about 4 PM. These days can be great,
so don't give up on them too early!
For current conditions, check CC
wind and weather . For daily and monthly statistics from NOAA,
including daily average wind speeds for the past few months (on the F-6
forms), check CC
weather summary .
Wind Forecast Favorites:
by Paul McKimmy (published in the June 1999 newsletter)
We’ve all been
there planned a windsurfing session, packed the gear, drove the distance,
and gotten skunked by a disappointing wind. Knowing where and when
the wind is going to blow is a constant game. Maximizing water time
and minimizing driving time depends on good information. A weather-band
radio that gives constant forecasts from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration) is a staple for staying in tune with wind forecasts.
NOAA is definitely not the end-all source of weather information, however.
If you haven’t tried these sources of info, I highly recommend them: Brownsville
WINDcast is a product of Weather Services International.
This free site provides color-coded maps of Texas predicting wind velocity
and direction for today and tomorrow’s morning and afternoon wind. wunderground.com
Weather Underground provides a good weather summary for today and tomorrow.
It also gives a current observation of wind speed. I use this as
my Internet browser’s homepage, so every time I turn on the computer I
get a synopsis. To do this, edit the preferences in your browser
(Netscape or MS Explorer). You can replace the last five digits with
your own zip code if you’re not in Corpus Christi. noaa.gov
This is the National Weather Service (part of NOAA) site for Corpus Christi
in case you don’t have your weather radio handy. Follow the link
to Marine Weather and choose whichever coastal forecast you want.Nothing
beats knowing before going. When you want to double check your favorite
launch before driving off, call WindInfo at 992-WIND (9463). The
Blucher Institute at Texas A&M - Corpus Christi maintains this setup
which provides up-to-the-minute (well, 6 minute intervals) wind speed and
water temperature at Naval Air Station - Corpus Christi, Bird Island Basin,
Ingleside, and Port Aransas. This is a real treat, especially since
it’s free. Some other windsurfing hotspots have a pay-per-call format.
More information on WindInfo is available at windinfo
If you’re a continual email user like I am, you’ll also want to get on
Worldwinds’ mailing list. Send email to worldwinds@juno.com
and request to receive their weekend forecasts--they’re pretty accurate.
Finally, for those wave sailors out there a new Internet site, surfcorpus.com
, will be of interest. Not only does it provide a recent photo of
the surf at Bob Hall Pier, but a live web-cam view straight down Whitecap
Blvd. to the waves. In the future, this camera may be mounted right
on the pier for a better view. Check it out before you drive out.
Surfcorpus.com also provides links for wind and wave forecasts.
Newsletter Ed’s Note: WorldWinds’
forecast is based on AccuWeather’s data at: accuweather.com
Their premium service ($4 a month subscription) includes the hour by hour
forecast.
