LDRS 35 Weather Guesstimate

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DaveW6DPS

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The crystal ball is clearing and the weather for LDRS 35 is coming into focus.

High temperatures will peak this weekend (June 4), and then begin easing by the start of LDRS. Wednesday, June 8, will see a high temperature in the mid-90s, but Thursday through Saturday high temperatures should be close to 90°F (32°C) on the lakebed. Sunday, June 12, it will begin warming again.

No precipitation is expected for as long as I care to predict.

Winds will be from the West/South-West at 12 to 15 MPH in the afternoon next week, with calmer conditions around dawn. Gusts in the 20 to 25 MPH range are possible in the evenings.

UV strength will range from high to extreme, so sunblock and protection from sun exposure is very important. The only shade on the lakebed is what you bring!

Humidity on the lakebed is expect to be around 15% to 20% all week, so dehydration is a serious threat, especially for those who are not acclimated to the desert South-West.

Protection from the sun and drinking plenty of water are important considerations for anyone coming to LDRS! Keep a close eye on your children for symptoms of heat illness, and please leave your pets at home!

Weather on the Lucerne Dry Lakebed can, and does, change in the blink of an eye. Stay tuned for updates…
 
Having launched at Lucerne many times I recommend being ready to launch in the morning. When the wind starts it usually does not let up til night. If the wind does not blow just launch again!


My
 
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Having launched at Lucerne many times I recommend being ready to launch in the morning. When the wind starts it usually does not let up til night. If the wind does not blow just launch again!


My

Like Mark sez- straps on yer ez up are mandatory! A few years ago I strapped a beach umbrella to a camp chair-dust devil came down the flight line in the heat of the day and I was thrown 6 feet! Nights can be really windy, too. OTOH-nothing beats this place for recovery!
 
Like Mark sez- straps on yer ez up are mandatory! A few years ago I strapped a beach umbrella to a camp chair-dust devil came down the flight line in the heat of the day and I was thrown 6 feet! Nights can be really windy, too. OTOH-nothing beats this place for recovery!

You mean you did a Mary Poppins thing? Cool!! Kurt
 
Our typical pattern is that the wind starts sometime between 10AM and 3PM and doesn't let up until well after midnight...

Early launches will almost always have the best conditions.

The range opens at 9AM on Wednesday and Thursday, 8AM Friday to Sunday.
 
So, are 15-20 MPH winds ok? I've been out there sometimes and it blew like a hurricane, but I believe those were 40-50 mph gusts... in other words, 15-20 would be fairly normal, no delays in launching?
 
So, are 15-20 MPH winds ok? I've been out there sometimes and it blew like a hurricane, but I believe those were 40-50 mph gusts... in other words, 15-20 would be fairly normal, no delays in launching?

Plan on high stuff going up early-mornings can be dead still. We flew and left for lunch and came back to hurricane winds. Hilarious to watch a saucer weathercock across the whole flight line at about 100 feet. Waste of a $50 motor, fer sure. Oh, and they can roll a long ways out there,too! Ask me how I know...
 
Warp Core Breach went for a ride last time I flew it at ROCstock. It opened up at 2000 ft. and almost made it to the highway! Probably won't be doing that again.
Sharon and I plan to make most of our flights before lunchtime. Hoping to fly the Lil' Rascal on a J250 for a wake up call, if anybody is still in bed at 9 am.
We are bringing 16 rockets, three of which are night rockets, and four of which will fly on M motors. If we get half of them off, we will be happy.
 
So, are 15-20 MPH winds ok? I've been out there sometimes and it blew like a hurricane, but I believe those were 40-50 mph gusts... in other words, 15-20 would be fairly normal, no delays in launching?

20 MPH is the hard limit, by both the safety codes and California Regulations. At 15 to 19 we will be watching closely. At 20 MPH we shut down the range until it is safe to fly again.
 
Well.... that just blows...... (see what I did there).......and it had been so cool all of May......
 
The vendors trailers are a good place to escape PM winds.
If we buy out all their products there will be more room.

M
 
Warp Core Breach went for a ride last time I flew it at ROCstock. It opened up at 2000 ft. and almost made it to the highway! Probably won't be doing that again.

Yeah, I was standing in line behind you at the launch table.

"Hey Wayco, it's pretty windy don't you think?" I said.

"Your rocket's ready to go, right?" You said. "Wind's not that bad!" you said.

Had to chase that thing a darn mile. And it didn't have the decency to stop when it hit the ground. Just kept going towards Arizona.
 
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