Weather and Lake Conditions, Wednesday, October 17, 2007

The weather prediction for this weekend's work party at Heron Lake is good -- until Sunday, that is, when conditions take a chill pill

Friday: 64/30F high/low temp., 4% chance rain, winds from the WSW at 5-8 mph

Saturday: 66/32F high/low temp., 8% chance rain, winds from the SW at 8-18 mph

Sunday: 49/24F high/low temp, 25% chance rain, winds from the WNW at 10-18 mph

A look at weather history shows just how frustrating last Sunday's winds were at Elephant Butte Lake:

NOAA (Sierra Co. airport)
1:53 p.m. Calm
2:53 p.m. N 5 mph
3:53 p.m. N 16 mph, gusting to 30 mph
4:53 p.m. Calm

Elephant Butte Lake
17 OCT 2007 0900
4325.14 ft. elevation above benchmark, 331,143 acre feet
down –0.16’/1.9”/1668 a.f. in 24 hours
down –0.44’/5.3”/4,596 a.f. in 71 hours
flow out the dam is 962 cubic feet per second (938-971 cfs)
inflow at San Marcial is 78 cfs (61-78 cfs)

Heron Lake
17 OCT 2007 1000
7151.42 ft. elevation, 225,622 acre feet
down –0.01’/0.1”/44 a.f. in 24 hours
down –0.03’/0.4”/129 a.f. in 71 hours