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Pass Creek

Pass Creek is a paragliding flying site at 1846 m elevation, in the Idaho region of the United States. The launch faces S, 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. Pass Creek flies in S, 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 43 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 Pass Creek, 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 Pass Creek as anywhere else, the final go decision remains the pilot's, after local briefing and direct observation.

Current wind at Bozeman/Gallatin Fld (station 26 km away): 17 km/h SE, gusts 28 km/h — read at 02:56 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Spot info is community-sourced and may be outdated.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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Pass Creek

1,846 mUnited States›Idaho
—Not rated yet·0 votes
Takeoff

main

1,846 m · S / SW / W

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Landing

main

1,616 m

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The launches here are all hike up. And considered to be a thermal site for pilots hoping to get up and leave the area for XC flights. Most popular destination is the M. There are cruxes along the flight path where if you land you will not be welcome by the landowners. Please contact a local and get the intel of where to avoid landing. The lowest launch is a flat area on the hillside visible from the parking area with room to set up and kite before launching. This launch is rarely used. West wind is the preferred direction, winds from the South can cause rotor at launch. The LZ is 300 ft. below, across the road on State land, surrounded by private land. Midway Launch is above and north of the Lowest Launch, it is launchable in west to southwest winds. This launch uses the same landing zones as the Lower Launch and has an area behind launch with some potential for kiting. It’s rarely used. Upper Launch (P3 recommended) can be reached by hiking south east, above the Midway Launch until reaching a deep ravine (here you’ll be able to see the Upper Launch), then turn to hike up. Launching is good with South to West winds, definitely avoid North to East winds. Bomb out on a South launch and you’ll need to pick a clear spot in the Sage brush on the state lands below, south of the Cemetery. The South landing zone can be located by standing on launch, imagining the area between a line directly from launch to the intersection of Morgan Lane and Rocky Mountain Road, then another line due east from this intersection. Pass Creek: paragliding site in Idaho, USA. Elevation 1846 m.

Forecast · ECMWF

NESW
Takeoff

No flyability data

1,846 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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