I wonder, from anyone who knows the region [Mt. St. helens]: is that a characteristic
of the area? I recall we had a southwesterly flow that day, with winds
aloft from the south at 20 knots or so. Any way to predict that
region?

I was up there on Saturday, too, the wind was more like 220@40 at 10K.
Strong SW flow, fairly typical for this weather pattern. There tends
to be a very strong downdraft on the lee side of the mountain (usually
NE side). Flying *over* the rim can be a fun ride (northbound only!),
but make sure you have plenty of room, the downdraft inside the crater
can be quite spectacular.

Martin