Weekend Weather

[RobinHastings]

JANUARY 1st through JANUARY 3rd, 2021:
Happy New Year! We are greeted in our first days of it with a flyable weekend. Weather will be cool (45 to 55 deg, F) and dry (as usual) throughout our area. Winds should be fairly light, but not bad in direction. On Friday, winds will be very light; 0-5 in Alamogordo, but maybe westerly. Elsewhere that day, NE in Las Cruces and Deming, 0-5 mph, and ENE in the El Paso area, again 0-5. On Saturday things look better. WSW in Alamogordo, 5-8, SW in Las Cruces, El Paso and Deming, about 8-10 mph. Finally, Sunday is a little more westerly in Alamogordo, El Paso and Deming, 8-10 mph, and SSW in Las Cruces, 5-8. Recommendations: On Friday, Dry Canyon might be flyable for PG's. Maybe Torrey Paso, too. On Saturday, look to Dry Canyon, La Luz, Magdalena Rim and the Little Floridas - take your pick, they all should be pretty good. Agave Hill and Nelson's Launch should be flyable, too. On Sunday, the same - they all should work OK. I'm free to fly if anyone wants to go out. Give me a call! Stay warm, fly safe, and watch out for COVID - we're not done with it yet.
-Robin
575-541-5744 home
575-386-8212 cell

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, JANUARY 8 through SUNDAY, JANUARY 10, 2021:
This will be an up-and-down weekend for winds. No precipitation still. It starts out warm (high 50's to low 60's) but by Sunday gets downright chilly, with highs in the low to high 40's F. Naturally, you don't get a change like that without some wind in the process. Friday the winds are light, 5-8 mph in Alamogordo, less than that elsewhere, coming from the south and southwest. (Southeast in Deming.) On Saturday the winds are strong south-southwest, 15-20 by afternoon. Maybe a little lighter, early on. On Sunday, as with most of our wind events, as the low pressure passes to the east we get the counterclockwise swirl bringing north winds to the area - and cold. We'll see light (5-8 mph) winds from the north in Alamogordo, and northeast in Las Cruces, Deming and El Paso. For Friday flying, I'd say that Dry Canyon and La Luz should work OK, and maybe Magdalena Rim for PG's (a little light for HG's). On Saturday, Mag Rim might work if you get out there early, launching well before noon. Otherwise it looks like a blowout. On Sunday, the La Luz NW launch might work, and possibly Volcanic Peak west of Las Cruces. It'll be cold, though, so dress real warm if you try it! Fly safe, and let me know how it goes if you get some airtime this weekend.
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, JANUARY 15 through SUNDAY, JANUARY 17, 2021:
This is a pretty brief forecast, since I was out flying on Thursday. It looks like, due to a big low pressure over the Great Lakes, the counterclockwise swirl will mostly bring north winds to our area for Friday and Saturday. This will create winds of 8 to 10 mph out of the north and northwest. The best site to try, in that case, is where I flew today: The La Luz northwest launch. On Sunday, as the low pressure moves on, the winds should get lighter, and west/southwest. Magdalena Rim might work, and possibly Agave Hill and Nelson's Launch near El Paso. The Little Floridas may be possible, too. It should be reasonably warm (high temps in the high 50's) and dry - though by next Thursday we could, finally, see a little precipitation. Have fun if you get out to fly - I certainly did!
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22 through SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021:
Hi, folks, and welcome to a new President & VP for the next 4 years. (Not the RGSA - I mean for the USA, though that is hardly more important.) Our weekend looks both good and bad for flying. Friday, the temperatures should be fairly warm (50 to 60 F for highs, about 15 C) and the winds fairly light out of the southwest, 8-10 mph around our region. The current precipitation event should be leaving us before then. On Saturday the winds get stronger, 10 to 15 (a little more in Deming). Same temperatures, though. On Sunday the temperatures drop as a low-pressure area comes to us, and the winds go up to 20+ mph out of the west/southwest. Looks like a blowout to me. I'd recommend flying Dry Canyon, La Luz, Magdalena Rim and the Little Floridas on Friday, plus Agave Hill and Nelson's Launch in El Paso. On Saturday the same sites should work, but go earlier and expect stronger winds. On Sunday, just hunker down and watch some football - I don't think flying is in the cards that day. I plan to go to Magdalena Rim today with Texas pilots Tony Conger, Chris Chaney and Joe Gamerisfelder, then to the Little Floridas on Friday. If you get some airtime, let me know! Be safe, and stay healthy.
-Robin
575-541-5744 home
575-386-8212 cell

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, JANUARY 29 through SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021:
This should be an interesting weekend for weather. Friday, some places could see strong SSW winds, while others get it fairly light. It'll be pleasant in temperature, though, with highs around 60-65 F (15 C). A chance of moisture in Alamogordo that evening. On Saturday, after the strong winds have passed, we should see some decent NW winds, and temperatures in the 50s. By Sunday, still cool, and winds coming from the east, very light - except in Alamogordo, where I expect light WSW. On Friday I would say that La Luz, Dry Canyon and Magdalena Rim might work well. Be sure to go early, though, as a blowout is possible as the day goes on. It'll likely be too southerly for the Little Floridas, and for Nelson's Launch and Agave Hill, but who knows? Light winds are fickle. On Saturday, La Luz is your best bet - it should work very well for hang gliders, at least. Sunday looks like a good day for Dry Canyon, both HG and PG, and for PG's at Anapra. I am out of the air until my parachute gets back from repacking, but I could be available as a driver. Fly safe, everyone! And don't forget about our RGSA Zoom meeting at 7:00 pm on Saturday, January 30th. See you there and then!
-Robin
575-386-8212 cell
575-541-5744 home

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, FEB. 5 through SUNDAY, FEB. 7, 2021:
Well, two out of three ain't bad, they say. Friday and Saturday look like pretty good flying days around the area. Sunday, with surface winds 15+ mph everywhere, looks like a blowout. On Friday winds are mostly west and southwest in the 5-8 mph range, a little stronger in Deming, but NW in Alamogordo. On Saturday, they mostly turn north, and quite light. Then on Sunday, in come the stronger winds. It'll be a dry weekend, and fairly warm, with high temps about 60+ deg. F (12-15 C). On Friday I'd recommend looking at La Luz, Mag Rim, Nelson's Launch, Agave Hill, and maybe the Little Floridas if you go out early. On Saturday, La Luz might be flyable - or it might be just a light-wind sled run. Won't know until you try it, eh? On Sunday, probably all of our launch sites are blown out - better to find a good place to watch the Superbowl (socially isolated, of course). I don't have a parachute, so I'm grounded for the present, but I'm willing to drive if you let me know in advance. Good luck, and enjoy the air if you get the chance. Be safe!
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12 through SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2021:
We have good news and bad news for you. The good news is that Friday and Saturday look flyable. The bad news is that you don't have enough firewood piled up for Sunday. Let me explain... Friday and Saturday it looks like we have typical Southwest conditions. It'll be cloudy on Friday, but temperatures will be in the 60 degree range (15 C) with southwest winds 5 to 10 mph everywhere. This means that La Luz, Dry Canyon, Mag Rim, Little Floridas, Agave Hill and Nelson's Launch should all be flyable. Same for Saturday, though sunnier, but go earlier, as the winds are slated to get stronger. Sunday? The nasty weather visiting a great deal of the USA will not leave us unscathed that day. The good news is, we should get rain! And maybe snow. The bad news is, it'll be windy and cold as well. And without even last weekend's dismal Superbowl for entertainment, it may be time to break out that good book you used to have, fire up a coffee pot and try to stay warm. The temperatures from Sunday into Monday morning are going to be well below freezing for our area, so locate a couple of blankets, too. It won't last long, but Sunday & Monday should probably be off of your Presidents Day Weekend flying list. If you go out on Friday or Saturday, though, have fun, and be safe! Until my parachute returns, I'm out of the air, but I might be able to drive for you if you need it.
-Robin
575-541-5744 home
575-386-8212 cell

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19 through SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2021:
Well, after last weekend's polar blasts, this one looks a whole lot more typical. (Nevertheless, before the cold front came in on Sunday, we had perfect flying weather on Friday at Mag Rim.) First of all, the temperatures will be about normal for this time of year - in the high 50's to mid 60's Fahrenheit. I'm sure our Texas friends will be glad to hear that - they've been having a pretty tough week out there. No precipitation is in the forecast. It looks like our winds on Friday will be very light, generally less than 5 mph, but about 5-8 mph near Las Cruces, and mostly southwest. A little too southerly for the Little Floridas, though. Saturday is mostly southwest, too, but a whole lot stronger, in the the 15+ mph range. It might be good early, but probably a blowout by mid-afternoon. Sunday looks interesting; the winds will shift to north and northeast for our area, as the jetstream passes by, and in the 10 to 15 mph range. Without being bitingly cold, either! My recommendations, then: On Friday, try out Magdalena Rim, if you can break free of work; it should be excellent for both PG and HG. Dry Canyon might be good, too, though it'll be pretty light. On Saturday, Mag Rim could work in the morning, then it'll blow out as the afternoon goes on. Other sites to try (early!) would be La Luz, Dry Canyon, Agave Hill and Nelson's Launch. (Little Floridas look like a blowout from the start.) Finally, on Sunday it looks like the La Luz NW launch could be good, though it might get strong later in the day, and Volcanic Peak at last takes precedence as the go-to site for some fun soaring, without freezing in the process. This could be a fun weekend! And we deserve one, too. If my parachute shows up, I would certainly enjoy some soaring on Friday or Sunday, and I hope the rest of you feel the same. Be safe, and have some fun!
-Robin
575-541-5744 home
575-386-8212 cell

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26 through SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2021:
It looks like a typical late-winter weekend for us. Temperatures will be in the 60's to low 70's (20 C) and dry. Winds on Friday, fairly light, out of the west and northwest. Winds on Saturday and Sunday get a good deal stronger, and out of the west/southwest. I recommend La Luz NW launch on Friday (8-10 mph) and the Little Floridas (W, 8-10 mph). On Saturday, it looks like La Luz SW launch and maybe Dry Canyon will be light enough for hang gliders. PG's probably will be blown out this day. Sunday, it looks like PG's get their chance in El Paso, with winds SW 8-10, making Agave Hill and Nelson's Launch good bets. Mag Rim might work for hang gliders (SSW, 10-15) but go early. At least the temperatures should be pleasant. I have my parachute back, so give me a call if you want to fly!
-Robin
575-541-5744 home
575-386-8212 cell

[RobinHastings]

FRIDAY, MARCH 5 through SUNDAY, MARCH 7, 2021:
We may have a pretty decent weekend for flying, here. There's a site that should work for each day. Our weekend will be sunny, warm, and dry, with high temperatures in the mid-60's to low 70's F. Winds today (Thursday) will be pretty strong, but not bad the rest of the time. On Friday we should see some north to northeast winds, 8-10 mph, typical after a wind event, but more easterly in El Paso. On Saturday, it looks like SE winds, 10-12 mph, except in Alamogordo where they should be SSW, 5-8 mph. On Sunday, pretty light, and mostly SE, but again, SW in Alamogordo. My recommendations, then: On Friday, it looks like Volcanic Peak could be fun to fly early in the day, as well as Torrey Paso, west of El Paso. La Luz NW launch might work, too, but it also could be crossing from the right at launch. On Saturday, it appears that Dry Canyon would be good, for both HG and PG. Nothing else looks possible, except for towing on the Exit 116 road, west of Las Cruces. And finally, Dry Canyon and maybe La Luz could work on Sunday, again for both HG and PG, at the SW launch. I would sure like to fly Volcanic Peak again, if anyone wants to join me on Friday! But a trip to Dry Canyon the rest of the weekend could be nice, as well. Be safe, everyone, and enjoy these pleasant days. The Time of Winds is almost upon us.
-Robin
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