Weekend Weather

[Bill Cummings]

Waiting for Robin’s forecast 2-5-2015

[RobinHastings]

FEBRUARY 6-8, 2015:
This weekend should be a flyable one. Last weekend we had rain - this one should be dry. Temperatures? Typically warm. The only question is the winds. On Friday, February 6, we should get some nice southwest winds. That will make (at last!) Dry Canyon, La Luz, Mag Rim, the Little Floridas and Agave Hill good bets. Me, I'd like to go to Dry Canyon tomorrow, if anyone's interested. On Saturday the winds shift to northwest, making La Luz our only real foot launched possibility, and on Sunday they go due north - again, La Luz is your best bet. If anyone wants to fly Dry Canyon on Friday, give me a call! I'm up for it - especially if we can find a driver.
-Robin
575-541-5744

[RobinHastings]

FEBRUARY 13-15, 2015:
You should be able to get some airtime this weekend. Rain might come in on Monday, but the weekend looks dry. Temperatures will be about usual for New Mexico winter - cool on Friday, and then warm throughout Saturday and Sunday. Winds? On Friday, they seem to be east, which would make Anapra a possible place to fly. Not too strong, though, so that indicates that PG's might do best there. On Saturday we should have southwest winds at our usual launch sites, so that day it looks like most of our sites could work: Dry Canyon, La Luz, Mag Rim, Agave Hill, Lee's Lookout, the Little Floridas. On Sunday it looks like we might get northwest winds. This circumstance, if it comes to pass, would mean that La Luz is about the only foot-launched site available. I'd like to get a flight in on Sunday, if anyone wants to join me (I'm busy with a gym meet on Saturday). I should have a driver with me. But don't just wait until then - try to fly on whatever day looks good. As ever, be safe!
-Robin

[Bill Cummings]

FEBRUARY 13-15, 2015:
You should be able to get some airtime this weekend. Rain might come in on Monday, but the weekend looks dry. Temperatures will be about usual for New Mexico winter - cool on Friday, and then warm throughout Saturday and Sunday. Winds? On Friday, they seem to be east, which would make Anapra a possible place to fly. Not too strong, though, so that indicates that PG's might do best there. On Saturday we should have southwest winds at our usual launch sites, so that day it looks like most of our sites could work: Dry Canyon, La Luz, Mag Rim, Agave Hill, Lee's Lookout, the Little Floridas. On Sunday it looks like we might get northwest winds. This circumstance, if it comes to pass, would mean that La Luz is about the only foot-launched site available. I'd like to get a flight in on Sunday, if anyone wants to join me (I'm busy with a gym meet on Saturday). I should have a driver with me. But don't just wait until then - try to fly on whatever day looks good. As ever, be safe!
-Robin

For the Guads
I am looking at the forecast for the Guadalupe Rim NW of Carlsbad NM. It is Thursday and that is a bit far out and of course things look better far out for Sunday and Monday wouldn’t you know? By the time Sunday and Monday move closer hopefully the forecast will hold.
The wind speeds are for the Dell City TX area and will be higher on the rim.
Friday starts out 6 am NW @ 5 mph, 36 degrees. The temperature climbs to a high of 65.
Friday 7 am to 10 am NW @ 5 mph.
Friday 10 am to 11 am it starts to clock to the NNW. That is too cross.
Friday Night down to 40 degrees into Saturday morning 6 am.

Saturday 6 am to 10 am NW @ 5 mph, 10 am to 11 am it starts to make a switch out of the SW then moving from the SSE then SW to S. (What?) High temp 70 degrees.

Sunday 6 am to 8 am WNW @ 5 mph, 9 am to 10am W @ 5 mph, 10 am it starts to pick up to 7 mph., by 2 pm W to WSW peaking @ 13 mph. Wind WNW @ 7 mph until sunset.

Monday 8 am W @ 8 mph increasing to 21 mph by 3 pm.
This was the only Model this far out.

[RobinHastings]

My apologies to everyone! I kept thinking that Presidents Day was NEXT weekend. No, it really is this one, February 14-16, 2015. Unfortunately I can't make it myself. But the weather for it looks OK. Saturday looks ideal, with light southwest winds ("light" rarely means much at the Guadalupes, however). On Sunday, it starts out strong west, early, then goes to strong northwest as the day goes on. Monday looks pretty good, though, with moderate westerly winds most of the day. If rain comes, it's likely to be on Tuesday. All in all, I'd head out there if I wasn't coaching this weekend. Enjoy it if you go, and do a launch for me!
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

FEB. 20-22, 2015:
This is not a bad weekend to fly. You may want to go early on Friday and Saturday, as the west winds we'll get look pretty strong. La Luz, Dry Canyon, Little Floridas, Agave Hill should all be pretty good. On Sunday the winds get gentler, and more southwest, so your can add Mag Rim to that list. Don't look for rain - we're into the Dry Times now. But have a great time soaring, if you go!
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

FEBRUARY 27 - MARCH 1, 2015:
This will be a tough weekend to fly, in that you have to gauge the winds pretty carefully. They'll be mostly south on Friday, then southwest the rest of the weekend. But strong, with Saturday probably a blowout and no letup until Sunday afternoon. Rain is possible but not likely. Temperatures will be a little cool on Friday, then the usual 60-70 degrees the rest of the weekend. In summary, be careful out there - but get your gliders out, just in case.
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

MARCH 6-8, 2015
Lots of sunshine coming this weekend - but I'm grateful for the rain we had this week. Flying will be possible this weekend, but you have to choose your sites carefully. On Friday and Saturday we can expect winds from the east/southeast, fairly strong on Friday but tailing off on Saturday. (Meanwhile, the "storm" that brought us the rain this week is pummeling the east of the country with snow and cold, so we're doing pretty well, all in all.) On Sunday the winds shift to the north, not too strong. Temperatures should be about normal for this time of year, highs going up to the 60's and 70's. I'd say that Anapra is our best bet for a foot-launched site on Friday and Saturday, and the La Luz northwest launch for Sunday. Towing at the Sod Farm should be good all weekend, if Hadley is up for it. I'm hoping to fly Anapra on Friday morning with Bill; it ought to be ideal for PG's and maybe soarable for hang gliders. Have some fun, and think how lucky we are that it's not a blowout all weekend. (It is March in New Mexico, after all.)
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

MARCH 13-15, 2015:
This is an unusual weekend, for March in New Mexico. First of all, we could see clouds, though probably not any rain. Second, I don't expect a blowout from the west and southwest. No, instead we should see moderate winds out of the east, on Friday and Saturday, and then light to moderate winds from the south and southwest on Sunday afternoon. This makes a Dry Canyon flight on Sunday a pretty good bet, and maybe Magdalena Rim, but probably not La Luz or our other foot-launched sites. On Friday and Saturday, your best launch site might be Anapra, where Bill Cummings soared for 25 minutes last Friday. "Choose wisely," as they said in one of the Indiana Jones or Star Wars movies. (They all seem so much alike...) Airtime is definitely obtainable this weekend. I'll be in Albuquerque for a wedding, but don't let that slow you down - get some flying in while the conditions are good! (And mild...)
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

MARCH 20-22, 2015:
Welcome to another non-typical March weekend for Southern New Mexico! Instead of bone-dry, howling winds and dust from the southwest (our usual circumstance) we have possible rain, and moderate winds from a variety of directions. This will be a tough one to call. It looks like Friday will have easterly winds, fairly light, and a chance of rain in the afternoon. Temperatures in the 60-70 degree F range. On Saturday, the winds might be from the southwest, unless they're from the northwest. Kind of light, still. Reasonably warm. Again, a chance of rain. On Sunday it looks like north and northwest winds, moderate in strength, and clearing - at least, I don't expect any rain. It might be a little cooler that day, too. So what's a pilot to do? Friday, you might think about Anapra, if the winds indeed are east, and especially if you fly a PG - it might be a little light for ridge soaring in a hang glider. On Saturday, Dry Canyon or La Luz might work. I wouldn't think that Magdalena Rim, Agave Hill, Lee's Lookout or the Little Floridas are the best bets - the winds might shift from launchable to wrong, unexpectedly, and those sites are not as forgiving to changes in direction. Sunday, the northwest launch at La Luz is probably good. I wouldn't bet on any of the other foot-launched sites in our area. For towing, check with Hadley and see if he thinks it's worthwhile at the Sod Farms. As unsettled as the atmosphere is this weekend, it might be too turbulent. I wish I could say, "You gotta be flying this weekend!" but that's not the case right now - "Go if it looks good" is probably wiser advice. And, darn it, I can't go at all, until my parachute gets back from repacking. Fly if you can, and post up here if you do! Be safe.
-Robin