January 2 Wave Flight Jean NV

For those unfamiliar with the greater Las Vegas Valley area, we do experience prefrontal wave almost 100 percent of every front passage and several months of the year with an occasional post frontal wave. The area valleys have ranges or broad peaks aligned in many different directions and perpendicular to just about any wind heading.

Early morning inversion today. 3 PM winds aloft were approx. 36 kts at mountain heights, SSW with very little direction variation with height. Surface winds at Jean were 220 @ 17.

Two of the NWS raw data reporting were:

LAS VEGAS
3K 250 16 +06
6K 270 24 +01
9K 250 26 -06
12K 250 62 -19
18K 250 75 -28
24K 260 72 -45
30K 260 77 -55
34K 260 90 -62

LAS VEGAS
3000 FT
No Data
No Data
No Data
No Data

6000 FT MSL
250 Direction
18 MPH
42 °F Temp
33 °F Wind chill

9000 FT
270
27 mph
33 °F
19 °F

12000 FT
250
29 mph
21 °F
2 °F

18000 FT
250
71 mph
-2 °F
-37 °F

24000 FT
250
86 mph
-18 °F
-64 °F

30000 FT
260
82 mph
-49 °F
-109 °F

34000 FT
260
88 mph
-67 °F
-137 °F

39000 FT
260
103 mph
-79 °F
-159 °F

Launched at 2:55 PM with Phil Rawlins, fiber optic engineer from South Hampton UK for his first ever glider flight. Encountered light rotor, then light wave 4.5 miles south of Jean. Releasing at only 2.5 AGL in 12 kts of lift on the upside of one rotor, we were able to fight our way upstream and back and forth across the valley to past Primm.

Under the leading edge of the largest, most prominent lennie, the wind then turned a little more west as we climbed through 9K toward Mt. Clark, then to FL 12.5. No O2 on board.

CFIG Bob Bowers in the Pawnee was able to throttle back and climb with us for a few thousand feet, tow rope dangling behind. We found we could do repeat climbs to oxygen alt south of the mode C veil, then return to Jean and descend down through the SE climb window.Then punch south and repeat the process again.

Summary- carefully exploring a ten or twelve mile wide valley, we were able to find more than a few locations where we could work small wave crests far downwind of the primary and secondary to patiently inch our way in moderate headwinds to the main wave without a high tow in a 34/1 glider.

During the downwind dashes above ten thousand feet, we gained, not lost, as much as five hundred feet.

There's winter soaring besides thermals in southern Nevada. Good omen for a new year.

Michael