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Agave Hill

Agave Hill is a paragliding flying site at 1622 m elevation, in the New Mexico region of the United States. The launch faces SW and W. This page consolidates multi-model weather forecasts, the GO / CAUTION / NO-GO flyability score, the vertical windgram and the thermal emagram so pilots can plan their flight in one place.

Wind and orientation. Agave Hill flies in SW and W winds, meaning the airflow must come head-on into the launch. Any component outside that window triggers CAUTION or NO-GO depending on intensity. The launch is rated safe up to 50 km/h sustained wind, beyond which ParaRidge switches to NO-GO. The hourly forecast table and the vertical windgram both show wind direction and speed at takeoff altitude, hour by hour, for the next five days.

Weather model and forecast. For Agave Hill, ParaRidge auto-selects the best-available model (HRDPS, GDPS or GFS in North America; AROME, ICON-D2 or ECMWF in Europe), then surfaces hourly forecasts for today and the next four days. The windgram stacks the vertical wind profile of every hour into one chart; the emagram reveals cloud base, thermal ceiling and the instability band — the three pieces of information needed to estimate whether the day is flyable and how long the thermals will last.

How to read the GO / CAUTION / NO-GO verdict. ParaRidge cross-references the forecast wind direction against the launch's orientation window, the wind speed against the safety limit, and the gust speed against the maximum threshold. GO means every check passes; CAUTION that at least one threshold is borderline (you stay pilot in command); NO-GO that the direction is wrong or the wind exceeds the window. The reasons are always spelled out — no opaque score, no magic. At Agave Hill as anywhere else, the final go decision remains the pilot's, after local briefing and direct observation.

Current wind at Biggs (station 14 km away): 22 km/h WNW, gusts 37 km/h — read at 02:55 UTC, data by winds.mobi.

Fly your own decision

Spot info is community-sourced and may be outdated. The weather shown is a numerical model, not real-time observed conditions — actual wind on launch can differ. Landing-zone details (surface, obstacles, access, livestock) must be verified locally before every flight. Always cross-check with local clubs and pilots. ParaRidge is not responsible for any incident.

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ThermalRidgeHike & Fly

Agave Hill

1,622 mUnited States›New Mexico
—Not rated yet·0 votes
Takeoff

main

1,622 m · SW / W

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Landing

No landing zone is registered for this spot yet.

There is some turbulence at the launch face and in front but it is benign. There is no cliff or major obstacles either in front or behind launch which means it's easy to bail in case you need or want to. The area in front of launch generally has good lift if the winds are coming in over 12 mph. Soaring is possible with as little 5-6 mph if you launch at just the right part of the cycle (at the beginning). To get to the top of the mountains, see 'Soaring the Triangle' below. Do not fly north and enter the the canyon from Agave because you may encounter much stronger winds near the Mundy's Gap vortex. However, the house thermal is at the north end of the hill just north of Agave Hill (see image below). Do NOT fly behind launch unless you are certain the winds aloft are less than 15 (PG only). Top landing at Agave is possible but difficult because of the danger of being sucked into Mundy's Gap. In general, you want to stay out in front of Agave and to the south of the canyon. These areas are safe from the effects of the vortex at the Gap. Skilled pilots can attempt top landings if they check the winds behind launch. Be certain to check winds aloft. If it's over 20 mph at 9K', do not fly (PG) as you can get blown over the top which would be an adventure. Remember: This is the desert and air during mid day can be challenging. Less experienced pilots should stick to the early AM or late PM. Laminar air is almost always present late in the day and dreamboat soaring in the Franklins occurs at that time. Thermals are gigantic here, as in the Owens Valley, so always check the weather or with us before flying. Agave Hill: thermal, ridge soaring, hike & fly, XC site in New Mexico, USA. Elevation 1622 m.

Forecast · ECMWF

NESW
Takeoff

No flyability data

1,622 m

Live now · station

Model· fine-mesh → global

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Which model should I pick?

Fine-mesh models (1–3 km: HRDPS, AROME, ICON-D2, HRRR) resolve terrain and thermals well, but only reach +1 to +2 days. Use them for the day you actually fly.

Coarse-mesh models (10–25 km: GDPS, ARPEGE, ECMWF, GFS) miss valley detail but reach +3 to +10 days. Use them to scout a window 3+ days out, then re-check on a fine-mesh model the day before.

Advanced analysis
Fine mesh — accurate here · ★ recommendedRegional — trendGlobal — big picture

Day · Windgram / Emagram

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