By Mike Godsey

The Baja’s East Cape kiteboarding and windsurfing sites Los Barriles and La Ventana have seen almost 2 weeks of great wind.
But on December 9, 2020, those winds came to a grinding halt. This occurred as 2 low-pressure systems blocked both of the Baja wind machines.

In this animation of both satellite imagery and model output, you can see a counterclockwise low-pressure system has developed west of Baja Norte. This low-pressure acted to block North Pacific High’s NW winds that produce the winds on the Pacific side of Baja and sometimes helps the Sea of Cortez winds.

Meanwhile, a low-pressure disturbance WSW of La Ventana and Los Barriles began sending masses of clouds south of Cabo with some of those clouds coming over the inland valleys inland from the launch sites. These clouds limited the inland valley heating weakening the pressure gradient that makes the local sea breezes that help the beach wind.

As both of these features fade away we see improving winds by Sunday, Dec. 13.