SOARING FORECAST FOR FEBRUARY 22 - 25, 2013

THIS WEEK Clear sunny skies are forecast through the weekend. Temperatures will be above normal for the season. Winds will be sporadic and from several directions due to the influence of a low pressure system passing far to our Northeast that will only have a distant effect on our area.Our thermal season has definitively arrived. If there are clear skies -formation of thermals can mostly be counted on. Last week conditions appeared poor but several pilots had great flights of several hours in our local mountains flying thermals over our second and third ridges East to Wrightwood and beyond. More and better thermals likely to develop this weekend.Dr. Jacks thermal forecast for our area predicts thermal velocity of 350 to 400 FPM Friday and Saturday.  The National Weather Service is predicting the following local surface conditions for Friday through Monday: FRIDAY:Sunny, Temperature: 56 degrees.Wind: Southeast 5 mph. becoming West.SATURDAYSunny, Temperature: 58 degreesWind: Northwest 5 - 15 mph. Gusty.SUNDAYSunny, Temperature: 56 degreesWind: Northeast 15 to 20 mph.MONDAY:Sunny, Temperature: 60 degreesWind: East 5 mph.email weather comments to robert.settle@gmail.com