Weekend Weather

[RobinHastings]

OK, it looks like an interesting weekend for airtime. No precipitation, to start. Clear skies everywhere! Temperatures will be unusually warm, in the high 60's and low 70's. (Cold at night, though - that happens with clear skies.) Winds? Well, they look to be westerly, maybe northwesterly on Friday, fairly light. West to southwest, fairly light, on Saturday. Sunday, could be north and northwest, somewhat stronger. Might be westerly, though. Monday looks northerly, not as strong. Dry Canyon could be good on Saturday, and the Guadalupes, too. Sunday, I'm hoping for enough west in the winds to make the Rim work well - we will just have to see. Monday is probably a day for flying at La Luz. I plan to be at the Guadalupes, late Friday night until Sunday sometime. Hope to see a lot of you there!
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19 to SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21:
It's a good weekend to be flying in our area. It'll be dry (no surprise there), warm and breezy. We should have winds of light to moderate strength on both Friday and Saturday, coming from the southwest and west. On Sunday the winds could turn light and northerly. I would recommend Dry Canyon, La Luz, Little Floridas, Magdalena Rim, and Agave Hill for foot launched flying on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, the NW launch at La Luz should work well. And towing at the Sod Farm should be good all weekend, depending on Hadley's training schedule. I'd like to fly at Magdalena Rim on Friday, and maybe do some mentoring at Hospital Hill on Sunday afternoon, if it really does come from the north. Don't hide in the bunkers, folks - this weekend is the one to be flying in.
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, FEB. 26 to SUNDAY, FEB. 28:
Once again, there will be no rain in the desert. And it'll be warm. (Highs in the upper 60's to low 70's.) Winds? Not bad! On Friday they'll be light north to northwest. On Saturday, a little stronger, coming from the southwest. Sunday, lighter, and coming from the west/southwest. My recommendations for foot launching on Friday are to try for La Luz. On Saturday, most of our sites should work: Dry Canyon, La Luz, Agave Hill, Mag Rim, Little Floridas, maybe Kilbourne Hole. On Sunday, don't try Mag Rim - too westerly - but the other sites should be just fine. I'd like to try to fly at Dry Canyon on Saturday, if anyone is up for it; maybe Bill and I can so some more mentoring of potential pilots on Sunday, here in Las Cruces. Go fly, everyone! Soon enough, the winds will be howling...
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, MARCH 4 to SUNDAY, MARCH 6:
Well! Reality at last. Our usual Spring weather pattern has returned to New Mexico, right on time at the beginning of March. We will get no precipitation this weekend (though we might get some very welcome rainfall on Tuesday/Wednesday next week). Temperatures should be normal to warm, for this time of year. And the winds? Southwest, all weekend, going from moderate on Friday and Saturday to very strong on Sunday (maybe a blowout that day). On Friday, the foot launched sites that will work are likely going to be Dry Canyon and La Luz, Matt's Mountain (i.e., Mag Rim) and Little Floridas, Agave Hill and Kilbourne Hole. Mesquite Dam training site should be good as well. Saturday, the same, moderate to strong - good for HG's, but best early and late for PG's. On Sunday, all of the above could work, if you go early with a hang glider - it will likely be too strong for PG's all day long. I'd like to fly and mentor this weekend, and would certainly be happy to hear from other pilots about their choices. Give me a call! 575-541-5744. Good luck, and be careful, especially with those Sunday winds.
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, MARCH 11 through SUNDAY, MARCH 13:
This is a weekend that comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lion, to paraphrase a saying about March. With a hungry lion in between. Friday looks pretty good for both HG and PG. Winds will be light, and mostly west and southwest. On Saturday it turns into a nasty blowout, with ground winds up to 30 mph from the west. On Sunday, a little milder, ground winds probably 15 to 20 out of the west, and trending toward NW later in the day. No rain for the foreseeable future. On Friday, then, I'd recommend Dry Canyon, La Luz, Matt's Mountain (Mag Rim), Agave Hill and the Little Floridas. All of our foot launched soaring sites should work. On Saturday - just hide somewhere. Drink coffee, fix equipment, tell lies about your flying. On Sunday, if you want to venture out, I'd recommend La Luz and Dry Canyon as possibilities. Maybe Kilbourne Hole, or the Mesquite Dam training site. Winds will still be fairly strong on Monday and Tuesday, too. I'd like to fly in Alamogordo on Friday, though, if anyone wants to join me. Be safe, everyone! The Time of Winds is with us once again.
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, MARCH 18 through SUNDAY, MARCH 20:
This is a much better weekend than last. No rain, sunny skies, and much lighter winds this time. On Friday, they should be out of the west and northwest. Saturday and Sunday, east/southeast in most of our flying area, but in Alamogordo, mostly south. My recommendations: On Friday, Dry Canyon might work, and La Luz should be a good bet. Maybe Agave Hill as well. It's possible we could do some training in Las Cruces in the morning, but that will be a last-minute decision, depending on the winds. On Saturday and Sunday, Anapra might be soarable for paragliders, but a little light for hang gliders. However, Dry Canyon could be good both days, and for both kinds of flying, PG and HG. I'd like to fly Dry Canyon on either Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Who else is up for it? Whatever you decide to do, have fun and be safe!
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, MARCH 25 through SUNDAY, MARCH 27:
This is another pretty good weekend for flying. No precipitation, again. Winds will be moderate west to southwest on Friday, a blowout on Saturday (same direction) and then, on Sunday, northwest in the morning and light southwest in the afternoon. Friday looks good for most of our foot launched sites: Little Floridas, La Luz, Dry Canyon, Agave Hill, Magdalena Rim, Kilbourne Hole. On Saturday, I'd just stay home. On Sunday, Dry Canyon and La Luz are a good bet, for HG and PG. Little Floridas, too, I think. Other sites are probably good for PG's, but too light for good hang gliding. I'm planning on flying at Dry Canyon today (Thursday). I might do some mentoring at the Mesquite Dam site tomorrow, too. Be safe, everyone!
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, APRIL 1 to SUNDAY, APRIL 3:
After the onslaught of winds this week, we finally get some relief tomorrow. (No fooling!) There's a very slight chance of rain tomorrow, too, our first in months, but don't count on it. After that, clear and sunny, for a long time. Winds? On Friday, light to moderate, northerly, all over our area. (Typical, after windstorms.) On Saturday, it varies a bit. El Paso is light northerly, Deming and Las Cruces light easterly, Alamogordo, light southwest. On Sunday, the whole area turns to light southwest winds. If you want to fly on Friday, I'd go for La Luz. On Saturday, try Anapra in El Paso area, Dry Canyon in Alamogordo (both PG and HG). On Sunday, almost every place should work that faces southwest: La Luz, Dry Canyon, Matt's Mountain (Mag Rim), Agave Hill, Little Floridas in Deming. Probably too light for Kilbourne Hole, but towing at the Sod Farms should be good all weekend. I might try for Dry Canyon on Saturday, if my family gives me time off, and go for Matt's Mountain on Sunday afternoon. Hey, and don't forget our RGSA Club Campout at Gray Hill, west of Socorro, next weekend (April 9th). If anyone wants to fly this weekend, let me know! We deserve it after the week we've had.
-Robin
575-541-5744

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, APRIL 8 through SUNDAY, APRIL 10:
This will be a pretty good weekend for flying - and for the region's health. On Friday, winds will be southerly and southeast, as moisture moves in from the Gulf of California. We could get rain! (Yes, do treat that comment with the appropriate astonishment.) By Saturday the precipitation is expected to have moved on, but there is the possibility of a moisture follow-up by Sunday evening. Winds will be moderate to strong on Saturday, out of the west and southwest. On Sunday, same direction - but a good deal stronger, probably a blowout by afternoon. This goes for the Magdalena, NM area too, where Gray Hill is located, about 40 miles west of Socorro. It should be good for our newer pilots there, working off of the west and southwest slopes. For those who stay down south, I think that all of our westerly sites should work on Saturday: Dry Canyon, La Luz, Matt's Mountain, Agave Hill, Little Floridas, even Kilbourne Hole. On Sunday I'd fly those same sites early - maybe Kilbourne Hole would work when the others don't. Anapra's out of the picture for this weekend, facing east as it does. Rejoice in the rainfall, folks (we might get a little more next week) and enjoy the flying until the winds get strong. Be safe!
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, APRIL 15 to SUNDAY, APRIL 17:
This weekend, the flying requires good timing. On Friday, fly early. Real early. We expect blowout conditions, cloudy and windy from the southwest, by noon. On Saturday the winds will also be southwest, but probably less cloudy and less windy - could still be a blowout, though. Again, try to fly before moon, or later in the afternoon. By Sunday the winds die down to almost nothing. It should be clear and the winds light and changeable. They may start out north and northwest (which usually happens after a windstorm here, as the low pressure cell moves on eastward). In the afternoon, I expect the winds to shift more to the southwest and west. So, here are my recommendations. On Friday, get up early and fly locally - Matt's Mountain (Mag Rim) near Las Cruces, La Luz or Dry Canyon in Alamogordo, Agave Hill or Kilbourne Hole near El Paso, the Little Floridas near Deming. Be done before noon. On Saturday, you might do the same. We may try some mentoring of new pilots at Mesquite Dam early on Saturday, too. On Sunday, all of our sites should work in the afternoon. If it's still northwest by then, I would recommend the NW launch at La Luz. Enjoy the weekend, and fly safely - it could be a little tricky, this time.
-Robin