Desert Aire

PROs

"Desert Aire is Vantage's little brother, albeit more civilized."

• Desert Aire is a bit tamer than Vantage, but with lots of amenities which Sand Hollow does not have.
• When ON, the dominant W-by-NW thermals are very predictable, starting from ~1p and steadily increasing until 5p when they can be quite strong, before they start to drop before sunset.
• Unlike Vantage with its mostly onshore/sideshore winds, Desert Aire's sideshore winds makes for flatter water longer, until long swells develop.
• Like at Vantage, you get an encore with katabatic winds at sunset.

Why are Desert Aire winds so predictable?

As the mostly sea-level cool air on the west side of the Cascades rises towards Snowqualmie Pass, it cools down, compresses, and drops its moisture. Once it reaches the 3,000ft pass, it enters the Kittitas Valley, which is a typically much warmer 1,500ft high-desert Columbia Plateau shaped like a corridor. As the air warms up, it expands and accelerates down the valley, which acts as a funnel towards the Whisky Dick Ridge, where PSE Wild Horse Wind Farm has 149 wind turbines overlooking the Columbia River at Vantage. Unlike at Vantage where winds swoops down the edge of the canyon, at Desert Aire, it comes over rolling hills with fewer disturbances.

Tips

• Check the Grant County PUD website for conditions.
• If the temperature in Ellensburg is 15°F more than Seattle/Kirkland (i.e. around Lake WA), which is pretty common 3 seasons out of the year, then you can be pretty sure that the Kittitas thermals will be ON.
• The entrance of the Priest Rapids Recreation Area is through the Desert Aire neighborhood next to the boat launch, with its 3 grassy & shady picnic shelters which is the best place to rig your gear.
• Wearing booties for protection on the gravel and traction on the smooth rocks is recommended.
• Because the Kittitas thermals are shaped like a bell curve, plan ahead in order to "hit your window" at the opportune time, based on your skill level and your gear.
• The dominant winds are W by NW thermals, and they can be very strong (force 4 to 6 on Beaufort scale, between 15 to 30 knots); it is the Columbia River after all...
• While the County Rd 3300 forecast is reasonably accurate, since the sensor is slightly inland, it underreports actuals by about 5mph.

CONs/Caution

"Windsurfing can be an extreme sport, and Desert Aire can be such a spot."

• Unlike Vantage, there is only one launch site.
• Being Vantage's “little brother”, the wind at Desert Aire just isn't as strong. You can compare instantaneous winds side-by-side from the Grant County PUD.
• Warning - At Desert Aire, like Vantage, the dominant N-by-NW winds can turn ON on a dime (within 15min), so always be prepared for an early exit should you find yourself on the water with the wrong gear…

Water Level

• Unlike Vantage, Desert Aire has a really straightforward launch beach, between the protected boat launch and the swimming area, regardless of the river water levels.
• Unlike Vantage, which is upstream and always 2°F cooler, finners should be fine, but foilers should steer clear of the boat launch area which has milfoil as the water temperature warms up later in the season. Foilers should steer clear of the boat launch area which has milfoil
• Grant PUD River Conditions Website: Grant PUD

Gallery

Windy