Weekend Weather

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20 through SUNDAY, JANUARY 22:
This weekend is a little easier to forecast than the last one. Basically, we are due for wet, windy weather on both Friday and Saturday, as a major storm system moves into and out of our area, west to east. Sunday actually looks pretty good, though, if roads to the sites are not too wet and muddy. Winds will be generally westerly, the temperature will be low 50's, and the day should be sunny. In Las Cruces and Deming Sunday winds should be westerly, not too strong. In El Paso, also westerly, about 10 mph. In Alamogordo the winds should be moderate northwest. My Sunday recommendations: The Little Floridas should be soarable, if the road hasn't washed out. In Las Cruces, mentoring at the Centennial HS site might be the best bet for the day. In El Paso, various options: Agave Hill, Nelson's Launch, Kilbourne Hole for PG's. And training at the Sod Farms (again, if not too wet) should be consistent.

Keep next Satuirday (January 28th) in mind for a club meeting of the RGSA, and maybe some flying beforehand. The long range forecast for that date (yeah, sure) shows north and northeast winds that day, about 10 mph - this would make a club expedition to our (almost) newest site, Volcanic Peak, a viable event. We'll have our meeting in Las Cruces, about 6:30 pm, at a location To Be Determined. I will post it here next Thursday, and let everyone know by email, too. Hope to see you then!
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

Oops, I forgot to forecast a recommendation for Alamogordo for Sunday, Jan. 22. I'd say that the La Luz northwest launch is your best option for that day. Watch out for mud in the La Luz landing zone, however. It can be vicious! (And viscous...)
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

OK, one more posting. I just called up the Golden Corral restaurant in Las Cruces and reserved a room for next Saturday, January 28th, at 6:30 pm. The restaurant is on Hickory Loop. You can get to it pretty easily by taking Interstate 10 to Las Cruces and getting off at the Avenida de Mesilla exit. Turn east, towards the Organ Mountains, and go about 1 block to the traffic light on Hickory Drive, marked by a McDonalds. Turn left (north) and go to Hickory Loop, then turn left on that and go to Golden Corral. See you then and there!
-Robin

[Bill Cummings]

Let's go flying.JPG (37.11 KiB) Viewed 5053 times

I had to brace my fence and one tree from blowing over.
I heard a power line breaker go POW at the end of our block then the power went out.
Now it's BB sized hail!
EDIT: OOPS my time stamp is one hour too fast -- I'll have to switch off of daylight savings time.

1st User Control Panel then Board Preferences.JPG (56.19 KiB) Viewed 5053 times

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27 through SUNDAY, JANUARY 29:
This weekend promises to be a lot calmer than the last one. Also drier. After a very unusually wet January, we are now headed into a dry, clear week. Cooler, though, with temperatures mostly in the high 40's and low 50's for a while. This weekend the winds are going to be light, and mostly from the north and northeast. Friday should be light to moderate north winds, Saturday and Sunday light and north to northeast. (By Wednesday the winds finally start coming in light southwest again.) My recommendations for flying? La Luz should work, most of the weekend. So should Volcanic Peak, our new site near Las Cruces, especially for PG's. Anapra might work for PG's on Sunday afternoon, as the winds will be light easterly there and then.

For those coming to our annual RGSA club meeting in Las Cruces, this Saturday, we can meet to go out and fly Volcanic Peak by coming to my house at 2305 Turrentine Drive at 11:00 am. Bill Cummings and I can guide you out to the site from there. The meeting will be at 6:30 pm that evening at the Golden Corral restaurant on Hickory Loop, right near the Avenida de Mesilla exit from Interstate 10. Give me a call at 575-541-5744 at home, or 575-386-8212 on my cell phone. See you this weekend, I hope!
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3 through SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5:
Looks like a good weekend for aviation at last. We have clear skies, warm temperatures, and light west/southwest winds all through the next three days. The sites that should work would be most of them: Agave Hill, Nelson's Launch and Kilbourne Hole in El Paso; Matt's Mountain in Las Cruces; Little Floridas in Deming; Dry Canyon and La Luz in Alamogordo. For hang gliders, I'd vote for Dry Canyon, all three days, due to the winds being light; for PG's, Matt's Mountain and the El Paso sites, as well as Dry Canyon and La Luz, should be pretty good. I'm planning to fly at Dry Canyon on Sunday (I have a gymnastics meet to coach at, Saturday), meeting about 11:00 or so in the Cox Field LZ. Anyone want a ride up the mountain then? Give me a call!
-Robin
575-541-5744

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10 through SUNDAY, FEBRUARY12:
Flying is going to be OK this weekend, I think. We will have dry conditions until Sunday night. (Looks like rain on Monday, though.) Temperatures will be remarkably warm for February on Friday and Saturday - a high of 80 degrees F is expected in El Paso for those days. By Sunday, though, when a cold front comes in, it gets 20 degrees colder. Winds will be moderate from the southwest on Friday and Saturday, then fairly strong from the east on Sunday. My flying recommendations: On Friday and Saturday you have your choice of sites. La Luz, Dry Canyon, Matt's Mountain, Agave Hill, Nelson's Launch, Kilbourne Hole - they all should work. The Sod Farms should be nice and consistent as well. On Sunday, try Anapra - early for PG's, then HG's can probably soar as the winds get stronger. My plan is to take our Canadian visitors, Andrew and Shelley, up to the PG launch at Dry Canyon on Friday, going early to ensure the winds don't get too strong for them. If anyone with a PG or a hang glider wants to join us, feel free. I'll probably be at Cox Field by 8:30 am. Have fun this weekend, and fly safe!
-Robin
575-541-5744

PS - The long range forecast for the Guadalupes looks encouraging, so far. Reasonably warm and clear, with westerly winds.

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17 through MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20 (Presidents Day)
This weekend's weather is a little hard to predict, as it's different depending upon exactly where in our region you are. First, it should be dry over most of the weekend, with a chance for rain on Sunday - but the chances are greater the further north you are. In El Paso, it's almost zero. In the Guadalupes, not too much; in Las Cruces and Alamogordo, a little more. Temperatures will be about typical for our area, with lows in the upper 30's and low 40's overnight, highs in the high 50's and low 60's. Winds will be strong on Friday from the west and southwest, except in Alamogordo where they will probably be moderate. On Saturday the winds are supposed to be light southwest in our area, though stronger at the Guadalupes. On Sunday, west/southwest in the Guadalupes, getting strong through the day. Then on Monday, more westerly and not as strong. So the Guadalupes should be flyable all weekend, but probably blown out in the afternoons. In Alamogordo it should be flyable throughout the weekend, if it doesn't rain on Sunday, with La Luz being the launch site on Monday when the winds there turn northwest. In the Las Cruces area, Friday will be blown out, Magdalena Rim might be flyable on Saturday and Sunday, and Volcanic Peak could work about noon on Monday. In Deming, the Little Floridas get the right wind direction on Sunday, but it might be blown out by noon. Winds are supposed to be west/northwest there on Monday, which might be too crossed to launch. In El Paso winds should be mostly westerly over the weekend, especially early each day, so Agave Hill, Nelson's Launch and the Sod Farms should work. All in all, it's chancy throughout the weekend, especially with a Friday blowout to start it off - but if you guess right, you should be able to soar. Be safe, wherever you fly!
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24 through SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26:
At last, a predictable weekend. The conditions should be dry, reasonably warm (high temps at 65 to 70 F), and windy, at least on Friday and Sunday. It's almost like an early Spring. Winds will be southwesterly all weekend long. Saturday they should be mild to moderate, Friday and Sunday pretty strong. Fly early on Friday and Sunday if you go those days. Which sites will work? Most of them, it turns out. Dry Canyon and La Luz in Alamogordo, Kilbourne Hole, Agave Hill, Nelson's Launch and Lee's Lookout in El Paso, Matt's Mountain near Las Cruces, Little Floridas by Deming. On Saturday, all of those sites should work, though the winds get stronger as the day goes on. Better to be there early and catch it as it builds. I'd sure like to fly at Dry Canyon or Matt's Mountain on Saturday - anyone want to join me?
-Robin
575-541-5744

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, MARCH 3 through SUNDAY, MARCH 5:
This is another good weekend for aviation. No rain, warm temperatures, and the only strong-wind day is Sunday. That might be a blowout from the southwest, but you can probably even fly then if you go out early. Friday the winds will be east/southeast, light to moderate, all over the area except in Alamogordo, where they should be light southwest. Saturday looks ideal for all of our west and southwest sites, with winds light to moderate from the southwest. On Friday I would say that Dry Canyon will work, possibly Torrey Paso, and Anapra in El Paso. On Saturday we have our pick: La Luz, Dry Canyon, Matt's Mountain, Little Floridas, Agave Hill, Nelson's Launch, Kilbourne Hole. Good all over. On Sunday you might try Kilbourne Hole, or the other sites just listed if you go out early enough. After some of our recent windstorms, we deserve a weekend like this. I plan to fly Dry Canyon on Saturday, and should have a driver for us - give me a call if you want to fly that day!
-Robin
575-541-5744