Weekend Weather

[RobinHastings]

AUG. 30-31, 2014
This looks like a pretty good weekend for our kind of aviation. The rainy season seems to be coming to an end, at least for the coming week. Winds should still be light to moderate. On Friday, expect winds from the north, leaning towards northeast later in the day, so La Luz may be our only good foot-launched site. Towing at the Sod Farm should be pleasant and predictable. On Saturday the winds are supposed to be light to moderate out of the southwest. This makes our usual sites work pretty well: Dry Canyon, La Luz, Magdalena Rim, Little Floridas, Lee's Lookout, Agave Hill. On Sunday the winds turn more westerly, a bit stronger, and possible northwest by day's end; Dry Canyon and La Luz may be better bets that day. On Monday (Labor Day) I'm guessing the winds will be northwest again - but it should still be clear skies. Have some great flying if you go, and be safe!
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

SEPT. 5-7, 2014
Last weekend looked great for flying! This one, not so good - but am I going to shake my fist at the gods of precipitation? No, I am not. We still need the rain, folks, even though it's going to disrupt our aviation plans for the weekend. Thanks to a hurricane off the Baja Coast (which happens about once every 5 years) some additional moisture will be dragged into our area, along with easterly winds. This makes our west-facing sites unflyable for a while. Sod Farm training might be iffy, too. I hope to do some hang glider mentoring here in Las Cruces, though, introducing some potential pilots to how to run with a glider. Probably on Saturday morning. Let's hope for lots of rain this weekend, and dry, southwest winds for next one. Keep in touch!
-Robin
575-541-5744

[RobinHastings]

SEPT. 12-14, 2014:
Well, the rainy season isn't over yet. We can expect some precipitation on Friday and Saturday, thanks to another hurricane making its way up the Baja California coast. It'll push some moisture into our area, along with southeast winds through much of the weekend. Right now, Sunday looks like our best day for flying, though probably only at Dry Canyon or at (possibly) Anapra, for some launch & landing practice. I might be able to fly on Sunday afternoon if anyone is interested. Let me know! 575-541-5744. And wherever you fly, fly safe!
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

SEPT. 19-21, 2014
Well, this weekend is going to be a tough one to predict. As I write this (Thursday) the gift of Hurricane Odile is gracing my front lawn with moisture. Lots of moisture. (Grab the gift while we can - it's been six years of drought, at least!) When will this rain depart? Probably Friday evening, at least for a while - I expect more rain in our area next week, judging from what the models show. Now, assuming we don't have precipitation, here's what I expect of the winds this weekend: Friday, mostly light, south and southwest. Saturday, they swing around to the north and northwest, still fairly light. Sunday, the winds may actually be east and southeast, here in Southern New Mexico, still not very strong. My flying predictions, then, are these: On Friday, you can possibly fly at La Luz, Little Floridas, Lee's Lookout and Agave Hill. Maybe Magdalena Rim as well. (I'd stay clear of Dry Canyon - the road is likely to be a bog.) On Saturday, our only foot-launch site option is going to be La Luz. Towing at the Sod Farm in Santa Teresa looks like a good bet, and Hadley is planning on it, barring further weather disruptions. On Sunday, with east and southeast winds, we have the Anapra site for training, and possibly the Portrillos for soaring (though the winds are fairly light for that). The Sod Farm is likely to be busy again that day. Then, looking to the far future (next weekend) I can't get a read yet on weather for the Miller Canyon Fly-In near Sierra Vista, Arizona. But it's an event I'm planning to attend! Keep in touch if you can fly this weekend or next. Be safe!
-Robin
575-541-5744

[RobinHastings]

SEPT. 26-28, 2014
At this point, a rather long-range forecast, I foresee south winds and mostly dry conditions for Southern New Mexico. This should make Dry Canyon a fairly good flying site. I plan to attend the Southern Arizona Hang Gliding/Paragliding Association's fly-in at Miller Canyon this weekend. The forecast for that area is south winds, turning to south/southwest later on Sunday. There may be some rain on Friday and Saturday, clearing on Sunday if it does occur. I'll have more updated information by tomorrow morning. Hope to fly with you folks this weekend! (And keep in mind our Columbus Day Gathering in about two weeks.)
-Robin
575-541-5744

[RobinHastings]

SEPT. 26-28, 2014
Update to the previous forecast. It looks pretty much like what I said. We could have south/southeast winds in Southern New Mexico on Friday, getting south and stronger on Saturday, and southwest by Sunday. Not much precipitation for us, I think - it's likelier to be in Arizona, where I'll be heading for the Miller Canyon Fly-In. Dry Canyon should be flyable all weekend, though watch out for strong winds on Sunday. La Luz SW launch should work on Sunday, as will Magdalena Rim, I think. The rest of the time, go to Dry Canyon, or join Had for some towing at the Sod Farm in Santa Teresa. As for Miller Canyon, that could work early in the day, each day, but watch out for afternoon thunderstorms and southwest winds. I'll let you know how it all works out! Be careful if you fly this weekend - weather is still kind of turbulent.
-Robin
575-541-5744
575-621-1118 c

[RobinHastings]

Hey, everybody! I just got a call (7:45 am) from Eric Smith in Tucson. It looks like the weather would be really unsuitable for a Fly-In at Miller Canyon this weekend. Rain and south/southwest winds don't work for a desert site that faces southeast. On the other hand, it looks pretty good for next weekend. So he and I were in favor of a postponement to one week later. (And then our Columbus Day Gathering the weekend after that, in Alamogordo.) So, as of this time, it looks like we're on for flying in Southern New Mexico this weekend, and Southern Arizona next one. Call me with questions if you have any. Anyone up for flying at Dry this Saturday or Sunday?
-Robin
575-541-5744

[RobinHastings]

OCT. 3-5, 2014
The monsoon season appears to be over for Southern New Mexico. A new hurricane is coming up the Baja coast, but I don't think it will bring any rain to our area. It was great while it lasted, though! So, it'll be dry this weekend. What will the winds do? Friday, east and southeast, I think, not real strong. Anapra may be good for foot launching, but not much else. Saturday, the winds begin southeast then turn southwest later on. I would say that Dry Canyon will be the best bet, since you can fly it in both those directions. La Luz may work later in the day, at the SW launch, and possibly Magdalena Rim. It might turn more westerly there, however. On Sunday, the winds shift again, coming in stronger from the northwest, making the La Luz NW launch a good site, but not much else in our area. It looks good for Hadley's tow training at the Sod Farm this weekend, except for the shifting as the day goes on. Anyway, it looks like a flyable weekend! I may be available for some flying on Sunday afternoon if the winds look good. Keep our Columbus Day Gathering next weekend in mind, though!
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

COLUMBUS DAY GATHERING, OCT. 10-13
It looks like flyable weather for our gathering this weekend. I expect no precipitation during the day, though we might get some on Friday night. On Friday the winds should be light northwest, which makes La Luz NW launch workable, or even west, which would allow La Luz and Dry Canyon to be viable options. On Saturday expect light to moderate winds from the west and southwest all day. Sunday gets considerably stronger, with west winds coming in and a possible blowout in the afternoon - fly early! On Monday, as is usual with wind events, we'll likely get northwest winds, fairly light. I plan to be out in the Cox Field LZ in Alamogordo each morning by 8:00 am, so come on out and fly!
-Robin
575-541-5744 home
575-621-1118 cell

[RobinHastings]

OCT. 17-19, 2014:
Well! After last Sunday's howling gales and dust, it'll be nice to have a milder edition of New Mexico In The Autumn this weekend. Tomorrow, Friday the 17th, should be very nice. Clear with light winds out of the southwest. Dry Canyon, La Luz, Little Floridas and Magdalena Rim should all be fine places to soar. Matt Hayes and Arizona pilots Jim and Ginger flew at Magdalena Rim yesterday in their PG's, and according to Matt had a wonderful time, all making good top landings, so I'm planning to head out there tomorrow, maybe about 8:00 am. On Saturday the winds get stronger, and shift to a more southerly direction. By Sunday they should be south/southeast, a little stronger. I'm hoping that Byron Stevens and Jan Zschenderlein can drop by Las Cruces and run some small hills in a hang glider that day. The big hurricane from Bermuda might get out to Texas by Sunday evening, and push some moisture into our area for next week - that would be wonderful, we can really use some more rain. We've been cashing that precip bonus for the last 6 weeks, so why quit now?

If you want to fly the Rim on Saturday, let me know! Bill and I can wait for you there with the glider cart.
-Robin
575-541-5744 home
575-621-1118 cell