La Ventana Stories

Wind – February 15, 2025

Posted on by MasViento

¡Buenos dias! An Oceansat satellite pass around midnight measured 10 knot WNW winds over the Sea of Cortez just east of Cerralvo, but all of the latest numerical model runs show surface high pressure will build into the interior west of the U.S. today, with the background flow over BCS becoming more northerly and increasing substantially this afternoon. Moderate to strong north flow is forecast to continue over our region on Sunday, and with sunny skies expected, we should see an added thermal boost as well. Models are in good agreement that the surface high far to our north will rapidly weaken on Monday, with north flow decreasing to near or below the lower threshold to trigger our local wind machine. At this point I’ll be optimistic and say we will have just enough remaining north background flow to combine with a mostly sunny afternoon and give us rideable conditions. A trough of low pressure is forecast to spread across the southwestern U.S. on Tuesday, and this will create very light background flow over BCS, with only light onshore flow expected here. Surface high pressure is forecast to build back into the interior west of the U.S. on Wednesday, with increasing north flow over our area. Long-range model forecasts differ substantially, but some show just enough north background flow remaining to help trigger our wind machine into next Friday…stay tuned.

  • Today…Mostly sunny. North wind 20-24 mph and gusty.
  • Sunday…Sunny. North wind 20-24 mph.
  • Monday…Mostly sunny. North wind 14-16 mph.
  • Tuesday…Sunny. East wind 8-10 mph.
  • Wednesday…Sunny. North wind 18-22 mph.
  • Thursday…Mostly sunny. North wind 16-18 mph.
  • Friday…Sunny. North wind 16-18 mph.

Wind – February 14, 2024

Posted on by MasViento

¡Buenos dias! Several satellite passes late last evening into the early morning measured 10 knot NW winds over the Sea of Cortez just east of Cerralvo, and those measurements correlate well with the latest numerical model forecasts which predict similar wind speeds for today. Infrared satellite loops early this morning showed only a few thin, high clouds in our area, so we will see another good thermal boost this afternoon. Model forecasts continue to be in excellent agreement that surface high pressure will build into the western U.S. on Saturday and cause the surface pressure gradient to tighten over BCS. Low-end norte conditions are likely on Saturday with the usual gusty winds, particularly on the northern beaches. The norte should ease a bit on Sunday but model forecasts show solid north flow will continue as surface high pressure remains centered near the 4-corners area of U.S. Monday will see the background flow quickly weaken as models show a rapid transition to low pressure over the southwestern U.S. Light winds are expected on Tuesday as the trough of low pressure lingers to our north, then we will likely see a return of solid north flow on Wednesday…possibly lasting into next Thursday.

  • Today…Sunny. North wind 16-20 mph.
  • Saturday…Mostly sunny. North wind 20-24 mph and gusty.
  • Sunday…Sunny. North wind 18-22 mph.
  • Monday…Mostly sunny. North wind 12-14 mph.
  • Tuesday…Mostly sunny. East wind 8-10 mph.
  • Wednesday…Sunny. North wind 18-22 mph.
  • Thursday…Mostly sunny. North wind 16-18 mph.

Wind – February 13, 2025

Posted on by MasViento

¡Buenos dias! Wow!! For a time yesterday’s superthermal significantly exceeded my forecast of 16-20 mph. The gauge at the campground showed that while the 10 minute average wind speed was close for much of the afternoon, with winds of 18-22 mph from 12:30-3:30, a big surge occurred from around 1:20-2:00 pm with sustained winds reaching 24-26 mph and gusts up to 33 mph (see graph below). A series of scatterometer satellite passes measured 10-15 knot winds over the southern Sea of Cortez around midnight., and all of the latest model forecasts show solid north background flow will continue today. While we may not see another superthermal, infrared satellite loops early this morning showed another sunny day ahead, so our local thermal will likely be in peak form. Model forecasts are in excellent agreement that the wind party will continue into the upcoming weekend, as surface high pressure builds into the interior west of the U.S. and the surface pressure gradient tightens over BCS. While we may not see norte conditions with strong winds continuing overnight, sustained winds may reach into the mid 20 range both Saturday and Sunday during the afternoon. There will likely be some thin, high cloud cover at times, but we should see ample filtered sun to give us an added thermal boost as well. The background flow will weaken some by Monday, but enough should remain to give us another windy afternoon. Surface low pressure is forecast to form over the southwestern U.S. on Tuesday, with our background flow becoming light. The down time will likely be short, as long-range model forecasts show surface high pressure building back into the western U.S. on Wednesday with another surge of north flow reaching BCS.

Today…Sunny. North wind 18-22 mph.
Friday…Sunny. North wind 18-22 mph.
Saturday…Mostly sunny. North wind 20-24 mph.
Sunday…Mostly sunny. North wind 20-24 mph.
Monday…Mostly sunny. North wind 16-18 mph.
Tuesday…Mostly sunny. East wind 8-10 mph.
Wednesday…Mostly sunny. North wind 18-22 mph.

Wind – February 12, 2025

Posted on by MasViento

¡Buenos dias! An Oceansat satellite pass late last evening indicated that the position of an E-W oriented ridge of high pressure, key to our wind forecast for the next several days, was likely to our north near Mulege. The latest forecast models are in generally good agreement that our background flow this morning will transition from a west-northwest direction to a more northerly one by mid afternoon, and with sunny skies expected, our local thermal should be able to gradually pull the flow onshore. The ridge of high pressure is expected to hold firm through Friday, with ample north background flow expected and sunny skies giving us an added thermal boost each day. Model are in excellent agreement that surface high pressure will then begin to build into the western U.S. on Saturday, and this will tighten the surface pressure gradient over BCS and increase our background north flow significantly. Solid north flow is forecast to continue through Sunday, then diminish a bit on Monday. Long-range models are in good agreement that our background flow will become light on Tuesday as a broad area of low pressure forms over the southwestern U.S.

  • Today…Sunny. Northwest wind becoming north and increasing to 16-20 mph.
  • Thursday…Sunny. North wind 16-20 mph.
  • Friday…Sunny. North wind 16-18 mph.
  • Saturday…Sunny. North wind 20-24 mph.
  • Sunday…Mostly sunny. North wind 18-22 mph.
  • Monday…Mostly sunny. North wind 16-18 mph.
  • Tuesday…Mostly sunny. East wind 8-10 mph.

Baja Pet Rescue

Baja Pet Rescue

Posted on by Natalie Smith

La Ventana can be a true dog heaven. However, some dogs face rough beginnings, which is why Danielle Gee, who found her way here from Canada, stepped up to help when the community needed it most. What started in 2020 as simply helping a few people rehome dogs during the pandemic has grown into Baja Pet Rescue (BPR), a grassroots effort born from necessity and fueled by determination.

From rescuing puppies found at the dump to helping adult dogs without identifiable owners or injured animals from town incidents, BPR jumps in wherever needed. Danielle’s can-do spirit and adaptability have become her trademarks – she figures things out on the fly and makes it work, no matter the challenge.

Her approach is simple: be available (“My phone is ALWAYS on,” she laughs, in what might be both a blessing and a curse for a dog rescuer) and spring into action. The challenges are real – rising costs of dog food, vaccines, and medicines, plus new border restrictions for bringing dogs into the U.S. But Danielle tackles them with unwavering determination, finding joy in seeing challenging cases find their perfect homes.

In 2025, BPR is setting its sights on an ambitious goal: spaying and neutering 1,000 animals in La Ventana and the surrounding areas. Thanks to the generosity of sponsors, these essential services are provided free of charge to the local community. Since the start of the wind season, 112 dogs have already been spayed, with each procedure made possible through sponsor support. While reaching this milestone won’t be easy, Danielle tackles the challenge with unwavering determination, knowing that securing and maintaining funding is key to ensuring these vital services remain accessible. You can make a difference! Gather your friends and sponsor an upcoming Spay Day to help prevent unwanted litters and reduce animal suffering.

Whether you’ve crossed paths with her through BPR activities or during a lesson at Baja Joe’s, you’ll notice Danielle’s passionate dedication to the animals and her roll-up-your-sleeves attitude to getting things done. For those interested in supporting BPR’s mission or sponsoring a spay day, Danielle can be reached via email (bajapetrescue@gmail.com) or WhatsApp (+52 612 136 6338). Follow their Instagram and Facebook to stay updated on upcoming spay/neuter clinics and foster dogs available for adoption.

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La Ventana puede ser el cielo para los perros, aunque algunos perros enfrentan comienzos difíciles. Danielle Gee llegó aquí desde Canadá y comenzó ayudando a algunas personas a reubicar cachorros durante la pandemia, en el año 2020. Esta iniciativa que trata de rescatar perros en situación de vulnerabilidad se convirtió en Baja Pet Rescue (BPR). 

Desde cachorros encontrados en el vertedero, perros adultos sin dueño o animales heridos por accidentes en el pueblo, BPR interviene donde es necesario. El espíritu emprendedor y la capacidad de adaptación de Danielle se han convertido en sus señas de identidad: resuelve las cosas sobre la marcha y hace que funcionen, sea cual sea el reto.

Su enfoque es muy sencillo: estar disponible (“Mi teléfono está SIEMPRE prendido”, ríe, lo que puede ser tanto una bendición como una maldición para un rescatador de perros). Aumentó el apoyo y aumentaron los retos… la comida, las vacunas y las medicinas para perros, además de las nuevas restricciones fronterizas para cruzar perros a EE.UU, etc… Danielle sigue trabajando por los perritos con una determinación incuestionable porque le hace feliz ver cómo los casos difíciles encuentran su hogar perfecto.

Para este 2025, BPR ha fijado un ambicioso objetivo: esterilizar a 1.000 animales de la comunidad. Se han esterilizado a 112 perros desde el comienzo de la temporada alta y ofrecen estas jornadas de esterilización gratuitas. Hay trabajo que hacer, pero Danielle lo afronta con ingenio y valentía.

Si te has topado con ella a través de las actividades de BPR o durante una clase en Baja Joe’s, te habrás dado cuenta de su pasión por los animales y su actitud de “remangarse” para hacer las cosas. Para los interesados en apoyar la misión de BPR o patrocinar un día de esterilización, pueden contactar a Danielle por correo electrónico o WhatsApp, y seguir su Instagram para estar al día de las próximas clínicas de esterilización/castración y de los perritos disponibles para adopción.

Geckos of Baja California Sur

Geckos of Baja California Sur

Posted on by Chance Stevens

Happy Chinese Year of the Snake, everyone! To honor the Year of the Snake, today I am going to write about… Lizards!

Specifically, I am writing about geckos. Here in LV/ES, we have three species of gecko, and hopefully this column can help you tell the difference! 

The first gecko on our list is, by far, the most common: the Asian House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus). Asian House Geckos are, obviously originally from Asia. These little lizards have conquered an impressive amount of the subtropical world, and are now fairly widespread throughout habited parts of BCS. As the other part of their name implies, they are very successful living in and around houses. If you have brown or pinkish resident geckos under your air conditioner or light fixture, they are likely house geckos. 

The second gecko species is the San Lucan Leaf-Toed Gecko (Phyllodactylus unctus). These geckos are quite common around rocks and, occasionally, houses and palapas. They look similar to house geckos but have more pattern and are a lighter brown color. If you look closely, San Lucan Leaf-Toed Geckos have interesting toes that spread out as they walk. The most common place to see these geckos is up in arroyos and in the mountains, though they sometimes can be seen helping to keep the moths under control around your outdoor lights.

Coleonyx variegatus, the Western Banded Gecko, is the third and final species on our list. This species looks very different from the others; they boast beautiful orange stripes down there backs. They are not arboreal, meaning they do not climb, so they spend all their time on — and under — the ground. They are also strictly nocturnal, as are all of the local geckos, so you will probably not see them out much on these sub-arctic winter nights.

(left) San Lucan Leaf-Toed Gecko, (right) Western Banded Gecko

Wind – February 11, 2025

Posted on by MasViento

¡Buenos dias! A satellite pass at around 2:30 this morning measured light and variable winds over the southern Sea of Cortez. The latest forecast models show light and variable winds will likely continue today, but we are still on track to see an increase in north flow as surface high pressure begins building into the Baja Peninsula on Wednesday. Solid north background flow will likely continue Thursday and Friday and the surface ridge of high pressure holds firm just to our north. Surface high pressure is then forecast to build into the interior west of the U.S. on Saturday and increase north flow over BCS. Sunday will also see moderate north flow continuing, with winds beginning to diminish on Monday.

  • Today…Partly sunny. Light and variable wind.
  • Wednesday…Sunny. North wind 16-18 mph.
  • Thursday…Sunny. North wind 16-18 mph.
  • Friday…Sunny. North wind 16-18 mph.
  • Saturday…Sunny. North wind 18-22 mph.
  • Sunday…Mostly sunny. North wind 18-22 mph.
  • Monday…Mostly sunny. North wind 16-18 mph.

Wind – February 10, 2025

Posted on by MasViento

¡Buenos dias! Satellite passes last evening measured northwest winds of around 5 knots over the southern Sea of Cortez, and model forecasts show the surface pressure gradient remaining very weak today with light background flow and only light onshore breezes expected. The overall weather picture for the next week remains on track, with Pacific high pressure forecast to begin building into the Baja Peninsula on Tuesday. The axis of the surface high will likely be just south of us on Tuesday, with a significant west component to the background flow. Model forecasts are in good agreement that the E-W oriented ridge of high pressure will move northward a bit on Wednesday, and this should help turn the background flow to a more northerly direction here. Similar conditions are forecast to continue Thursday and Friday, with sufficient north background flow and ample sunshine to help jump start our local wind machine. Long-range model forecasts indicate that surface high pressure will build into the western U.S. and give us an added boost of north flow on Saturday, with solid north flow and ample sunshine continuing through next weekend.

  • Today…Mostly sunny. East wind 8-10 mph.
  • Tuesday…Partly sunny. Northwest wind 8-10 mph.
  • Wednesday…Sunny. North wind 16-18 mph.
  • Thursday…Sunny. North wind 16-18 mph.
  • Friday…Sunny. North wind 16-18 mph.
  • Saturday…Sunny. North wind 18-22 mph.
  • Sunday…Mostly sunny. North wind 18-22 mph.

Wind – February 9, 2025

Posted on by MasViento

¡Buenos dias! A couple of scatteremeter satellite passes last evening measured light and variable winds and it doesn’t look good according to the newest run of numerical model forecasts for our background flow today. That said, there are some hints in a couple of the models that show the light north background flow hovering at a level just below the typical threshold we see for initiating our local wind machine, so winds could increase a bit and even give the north beaches a couple of hours of marginal winds for this afternoon. The light winds will continue as models are showing a very weak surface pressure gradient tomorrow with only light onshore breezes expected. Surface high pressure will begin to build into the Baja Peninsula from the eastern Pacific on Tuesday, with west to northwest flow increasing. As we discussed yesterday, going into the middle of the week our winds will depend on exactly where an east-west ridge of high pressure sets up over BCS. The latest model runs are in good agreement that the ridge axis will be just to our north, and if this verifies, we will see ample north background flow from Wednesday through Friday. Sunny skies are also expected, so we will likely see a good thermal boost each day. Long-range models show surface high pressure building over the interior west of the U.S. on Saturday, with solid north flow continuing through next weekend.

  • Today…Sunny. Northeast wind 10-12 mph.
  • Monday…Mostly sunny. East wind 8-10 mph.
  • Tuesday…Mostly sunny. Northwest wind 12-14 mph.
  • Wednesday…Sunny. North wind 16-20 mph.
  • Thursday…Sunny. North wind 16-20 mph.
  • Friday…Sunny. North wind 16-20 mph.
  • Saturday…Mostly sunny. North wind 18-22 mph.

Wind – February 8, 2025

Posted on by MasViento

¡Buenos dias! An Oceansat satellite pass late last evening measured NW winds of 10 knots over the southern Sea of Cortez, and all of the latest numerical model forecasts show the background flow decreasing a bit today. It’ll be close again, but it looks like there will be just enough north flow remaining to help trigger our wind local machine. Infrared satellite loops early this morning showed some patches of high cloud streaming in from the southwest, but model forecasts indicate that we will likely see plenty of sun this afternoon, so we should see a significant thermal boost. The surface pressure gradient is forecast to weaken further on Sunday, with light winds expected here as a result. Similar conditions will likely persist through Monday with only light onshore breezes expected. Model forecasts are in good agreement that surface high pressure over the eastern Pacific will build eastward slightly into the Baja Peninsula on Tuesday, and depending on where the E-W oriented ridge sets up, we could see either too much west in the background flow if the ridge is too close to us or good north flow if it sets up farther to our north. For now, it looks like there will be a substantial west component to the winds on Tuesday, but Wednesday may see the flow becoming more northerly. Long-range models show similar uncertainty in the position of the ridge of high pressure for Thursday and Friday, but for now I’ll be optimistic that the axis of the ridge will be just to our north and we’ll see ample north background flow.

  • Today…Mostly sunny. North wind 16-18 mph.
  • Sunday…Sunny. Northeast wind 10-12 mph.
  • Monday…Sunny. East wind 8-10 mph.
  • Tuesday…Mostly sunny. North…northwest wind 12-14 mph.
  • Wednesday…Mostly sunny. North wind 16-18 mph.
  • Thursday…Mostly sunny. North wind 16-20 mph.
  • Friday…Mostly sunny. North wind 16-18 mph.