Marathon Lar: Ragnar Relay Northwest Passage

We are only a couple days away from the start of the 2014 Ragnar Relay Northwest Passage so it's pretty safe to give a forecast now. For those of you not living in the Pacific Northwest, it has been HOT HOT HOT here over the past week. And by hot I mean 80-90, which is basically like being in the center of the Earth to us mild weathered Pacific North-westerners. Well the good news…IT IS GOING TO COOL OFF FOR RAGNAR! I'll admit the potential hot weather was the only thing really stressing me out about Ragnar this week, but now I feel a bit more relieved.

That year it rained for the first 4 hours!

And less than 24 hours later, sun and warmth!

I've picked three points along the course to give you a forecast that should cover most of the race. Like I stated in my packing post it gets COLD at night. Even if the temps only say mid 50's being along the water and breezes make it feel much colder than that….pack accordingly!

The key to reading the below graphs:
RED - temperature
BLUE - % sky cover
BROWN - Precipitation potential
GREEN bars - potential inches of rain

Bellingham, WA Forecast for Friday, July 18 - 6AM to 8PM

Temperatures look pretty good in the 60's for when most teams start and only reaching the lower 70's for the heat of the day. 80% sky cover will offer good cloud protection from the sun, making running more more enjoyable. And here is where the potential bad news comes in…the chance of rain increases throughout the day and with a 44% chance in the afternoon you are most definitely going to want to be prepare to run and sit around in rain. Bring that extra pair of shoes, a rain jacket, and a towel! You may get lucky and not feel a single drop, but be prepared anyways!

Anacortes, WA Forecast for Friday, July 18 at NOON to Saturday, July 19 at 5AM

Friday evening is when the rain is supposed to come in from the Pacific Ocean but it shouldn't amount to much and you might not even feel a drop…you just never know. Evening temps will dip into the upper 50's which isn't really that cold but since we have been HOT HOT HOT here in the PNW for the past couple weeks this could be a bit of a shock to the system. Just bring one pair of sweats and a good jacket and you should be good to go.

Langley, WA Forecast for Saturday, July 19 - Midnight to 8PM

Saturday on Whidbey Island should see temps in the 60's with a lower chance of rain. The 94% sky cover makes me think you won't see the sun, but don't quote me on that. Looks like perfect running weather to me. This is the most scenic part of the course in my opinion so grab your iphones and cameras and get some pictures of your runners in this stretch!

DISCLAIMER: I was discussing this forecast with my co-worker (a meteorologist by training) and he said that is always really hard for rain to start again after such a long dry spell (I'm sure there is a super sciency explanation for this but I didn't inquire) so that he would take the percentage change of rain forecasted with a grain of salt as it will probably be lower…so take that advice as you wish and plan accordingly :). Additionally, rain in the summer is never an all day downpour so don't get too bummed and think you'll be wet the whole time…you won't!

So in summary:

Running temps from 50-70 will be perfect for running…pack whatever you normal wear for these temps.
There is enough of a chance of rain that you should be prepared with a rain jacket, towel, dry clothes and an extra pair of dry running shoes.
Skies should remain pretty cloudy throughout so that will make things feel a bit chillier, pack those layers for night and consider bringing a more winterish weather running outfit for night hours if those night time temps will shock your system :). That doesn't mean leave the sunscreen at home, you will still be outside most of the time so slather it on for safety!

And remember to follow Six Pack With Racks on twitter and instagram with #sixpackrack and all the Ragnar runners with #ragnarnwp.