We Need a Bermuda High!

The winds have been light for over a week, and the ocean is flat. Summer doldrums for windsurfing/wavesailing potential. June began with a bang, but now is finishing up as a bust. We still have a week to go, so perhaps conditions will change, but the long term forecast does not look promising.

What we need here is a good Bermuda High setup! A Bermuda high refers to a strong area of high pressure which sits off the US east coast and centers normally around the island of Bermuda. The weather pattern remains fixed and squeezes the wind gradients from approaching cold fronts forcing SW winds to blanket the OBX. This setup can last for days or even weeks providing perfect windsurfing conditions. In years past, I remember entire months being locked in SW wind, usually during June. Add an offshore tropical system to generate ocean swell, and I will likely be taking some time off work!

We have not seen this setup yet for summer 2007 on the OBX; however, hopefully July will be the month of the strong Bermuda High! If you follow OBX weather and find that a strong Bermuda High is setting up, it would be worthwhile to plan a visit for some windsurfing action.