Weekend Weather

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10 through SUNDAY, JANUARY 12:
Looks like a flyable weekend - but maybe not on Friday. Temperatures will be on the cool side for us (high 40's to low 50's F, or 10-12 C) with a chance for rain on Friday, and strong west to NW winds that day. Looks like a possible blowout, especially in Deming. On Saturday the winds are supposed to be much milder, and out of the SW. On Sunday, winds are forecast to be more westerly, and about 5 to 10 mph, or 10-12 mph in Deming. I'd say, stay indoors on Friday, unless you'd like to try La Luz (assuming it isn't raining then & there). On Saturday you have a choice of options: Dry Canyon, La Luz, Magdalena Rim, Nelson's Launch, Agave Hill, Little Floridas. Dress warm, though. On Sunday you might take Mag Rim off the list, but the rest should still work fine. And towing at the Sod Farm should be good both Saturday and Sunday. Looks like a good couple of days - be safe, and let us all know how you do!
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, JANUARY 17 through SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2020:
Our current clouds should blow away by tomorrow. Temperatures will be about what we expect for winter, around 50 or so, and winds on Friday will start out benign (light SW) then in the afternoon be blown out. On Saturday, winds will be light west in Alamogordo, and light east everywhere else. Sunday looks like light SW in Alamo, and moderate east elsewhere. I'd recommend looking at Dry Canyon, La Luz, Mag Rim and Little Floridas early on Friday, then ducking for cover as the winds begin to blow. On Saturday, Dry Canyon might work again. Sunday, it's Dry Canyon, La Luz, and maybe Anapra. I'm afraid I'll be in Albuquerque this weekend, coaching gymnastics, but the rest of you airheads - good luck! And be safe...
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, JANUARY 24 through SUNDAY, JANUARY 26, 2020:
This should be a pleasant weekend for flying, and our RGSA Meeting. Temperatures will be warm, with highs around 60-65 F (15 C) and sunny. Winds will be anywhere from light to fairly strong, depending on the day and the location, but probably not a blowout. Friday looks like light southwest winds for Alamogordo, Las Cruces and El Paso, and light ESE in Deming. On Saturday we get moderate NW winds in Alamogordo (about 10 mph) El Paso and Las Cruces, and west winds about 10 to 12 mph in Deming. Sunday, light WNW in Alamogordo, west in El Paso, 8 to 10 mph, WSW in the Las Cruces area and west about 15 mph in Deming. On Friday it looks like Dry Canyon and La Luz are good bets, with Mag Rim a possibility for PG's (pretty light for HG's) and maybe PG's at Nelson's Launch in El Paso. On Saturday La Luz should be good for hang gliding (NW launch) and the Little Floridas should be quite soarable (might be strong for PG's). On Sunday Nelson's Launch and Agave Hill should be good for PG's. Mag Rim might work for HG and PG, if it's not too westerly. The Little Floridas are probably too strong on that day. In summary, it looks like a flyable weekend. I'm planning on being the driver for some flying at the Little Floridas on Saturday, with our RGSA Meeting to top things off in the evening (1501 Aspen Avenue in Las Cruces, potluck at 7:00 pm). Give me a call if you want to fly the Little Floridas on Saturday!
-Robin
575-541-5744 home
575-386-8212 cell

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, JANUARY 31 through SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020:
This looks like a pretty good weekend for airtime. It'll be dry, relatively warm, and not too windy. (Next week, around Tuesday and Wednesday, it's supposed to get pretty chilly. Stock up on your firewood.) Friday high temperatures will be in the mid-50s F (12 C) and Saturday & Sunday will be 60s. Winds on Friday are strong north to northeast, 10-15 mph. Saturday they get a lot lighter. Alamogordo will see NW, 5-8 mph, Deming SSE 5-8, Las Cruces & El Paso SW 0-5. Sunday looks like a great day to fly, with winds SSW 5-10 all around the area. On Friday, I would strongly recommend Volcanic Peak in the afternoon for HG, and maybe La Luz. On Saturday, La Luz should be good for HG, and maybe Magdalena Rim for PG. Sunday, take your pick. Dry Canyon, La Luz, Magdalena Rim, LIttle Floridas, Nelson's Launch and maybe Agave Hill, all flyable, both HG and PG. Get some airtime, then watch the Superbowl if you're so inclined. (Described objectively as 22 men playing an elaborate game of keep-away with an inflated piece of leather. But some people enjoy it...) Increasing clouds that day, and maybe some rain and wind on Monday, but the weekend this time looks pretty good. I'm afraid I'll be unable to go out on Saturday and Sunday, but if you want to try it on Friday, I'll be up for it. Fly safe, and let us all know what you get!
-Robin
575-541-5744 home
575-386-8212 cell

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7 through SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2020:
This looks like another good flying weekend. Today (Wednesday) we had snow across our region. Tomorrow will be windy, and cold. But by Friday we start to see warm temperatures 55 to 60 degrees, and Saturday and Sunday it should be 65 F or more for the highs. No precipitation is coming, as far as I can tell. Winds will be workable, I think. On Friday, light southwest in Alamogordo, moderate WSW in El Paso, light to moderate SW in Las Cruces, fairly strong (15-20 mph) west in Deming. On Saturday, it looks like light to moderate SW winds across our area, maybe a little stronger and more westerly in Deming. Sunday the winds get a little stronger, but still southwest in most places (more south in Alamogordo). Hence, my recommendations. On Friday, Magdalena Rim should be good. Dry Canyon and La Luz, Agave Hill and Nelson's Launch should all be flyable as well. (The Dry Canyon road might be pretty muddy, though.) The Little Floridas will be too strong, unless you go pretty early. On Saturday, all of the sites just named (including Little Floridas) should be worth a try - take your pick. On Sunday Dry Canyon should still work, but it might be too southerly for La Luz. Magdalena Rim should be fine, though it might get strong in the afternoon. The Little Floridas, again, may be blown out. (I've seen it happen - yes, really!) I think I'd like to try Mag Rim this Friday. Give me a call if you'd like to go! And Saturday I might be up for it as well. Things are looking good, so have fun and, always, be safe.
-Robin
575-541-5744 home
575-386-8212 cell

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14 through SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16:
Looks like another flyable weekend for us, this Presidents Day. Winds will be southwest and west through the weekend. They are fairly light southwest on Friday, moderate west on Saturday, then a bit stronger west on Sunday. Monday looks stronger still. It looks like Dry Canyon and La Luz will work throughout the weekend. Magdalena Rim should be good on Friday, then too westerly the rest of the weekend. The El Paso sites (Agave Hill and Nelsons Launch) look pretty good all three days. The Little Floridas might be good on Friday, but Saturday and Sunday look too strong. As for the Guadalupes, this Presidents Day weekend, it looks pretty good on Friday, with southwest winds in the 10 to 15 mph range. Temperatures should be 50 degrees or more, and warmer on Saturday and Sunday. Winds are expected to be stronger on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, so be prepared to fly early those days if you go. I plan to be there late on Thursday or early on Friday. Hope to see some of you there and then!
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21 through SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2020:
This weekend, I'm afraid, shows limited flying opportunities. Our current balmy weather is forecast to take a plunge in temperature, into the 40's for much of our area on Friday. Winds on Friday will be light east over most of our area, and light WSW in Alamogordo. On Saturday there is a good chance for rain in the afternoon for Alamogordo, Las Cruces and maybe Deming. Winds will probably be quite light, out of the SW in Alamogordo, SSW in Las Cruces and El Paso, light SE in Deming. On Sunday, ah! the rains pass on east. But we'll have a blowout, with west winds at 20+ across the region. Temps should be a little warmer, though. Recommendations? If you can stand the cold, Dry Canyon and La Luz might be flyable on Friday, and possibly Anapra for PG's that day. On Saturday, it's possible that Nelson's Launch and Magdalena Rim could work for PG's (though Mag Rim might see rain). The temperatures will be a little warmer, close to 60 F (15 C). On Sunday, we'll see dry weather again, but it'll be blowing like stink, so don't plan on any flying. There's probably something to watch on TV that day. Or maybe your chute needs a repack. I hope that somebody gets to fly somewhere in the area - but I'm not betting on it. Be safe, everyone, and let's hope for better times next weekend.
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28 through SUNDAY, MARCH 1, 2020:
Well, here's the good news. The region will be warm and clear this weekend. Friday will be a lovely day, with light winds from the west/southwest in Alamogordo, light SE in Deming, and light & variable everywhere else. Saturday looks like a good flying day. Moderate winds from the SW in most of our area, strong west in Deming. On Sunday, just forget about it. A blowout throughout the region. Not a dust storm day, I think, but nothing you'd want to fly in. I'd say that Friday is a good day to try Dry Canyon or La Luz. Saturday, take your pick. Dry Canyon, La Luz, Magdalena Rim (launch it by noon at latest), Agave Hill, Nelson's Launch, the Little Floridas (again, be there early) could all produce good airtime. Sunday is a non-player for aviation. Too bad the football season is over! I'm afraid my schedule will keep me down to Earth this weekend, but have a good time on Friday and Saturday, folks. Be safe!
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, MARCH 6 through SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020:
There is an opportunity to fly this weekend! But you need to, as they say, choose wisely. Friday, it looks like SE winds over much of our area, good for towing at Exit 116 but maybe too strong even for that. Alamogordo might have winds that are south instead of southeast, but 10-12 on the ground - and its road might still be wet from the rains we had on Tuesday. On Saturday, though, the winds turn SSW in Alamogordo and south in the Las Cruces area. Light SSE in El Paso and Deming. On Sunday the winds are more favorable in direction, being pretty much SW all over - but 15-20 mph, and there's a good chance of rain that day, too. (The perversity of the universe being what it is, Monday and Tuesday look dry, warm and moderate southwesterly all over the area.) My recommendations are, if you need to fly on Friday, try Dry Canyon, early. On Saturday La Luz and Dry Canyon should work, and the afternoon at Magdalena Rim. On Sunday, it's probably going to be too wet, unless things clear off in the afternoon - but then, it'll probably blow hard, too. Not a perfect weekend, by any means, but moisture is (almost) always welcome here in the arid Southwest. Get it while you can, folks, and be safe. Let me know if you go - I might be up for some flying on Saturday. Or early next week.
-Robin
575-541-5744

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, MARCH 13 through SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2020:
This should be a pretty nice weekend. Emphasis on "weekend" - not Friday. Friday looks to be windy and rainy. Winds that day should be SW, 15-20 mph or more, with a good chance for rain throughout our area. Saturday and Sunday, though, the sun comes out and the winds are much lighter, 8-10 mph out of the southwest. Don't plan on any airtime on Friday, but the rest of the weekend it looks like Dry Canyon, La Luz, Magdalena Rim, the Little Floridas, Agave Hill and Nelson's Launch should all be flyable. If the coronavirus panic does not prevent it, I will probably be out of town at the NM State Gymnastics finals in Albuquerque. If that event gets cancelled, though, I should be available for some soaring this weekend. Give me a call if you feel like going out to fly!
-Robin
575-541-5744