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Knik River Butte AK

AK
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Showing Paragliding — switch wings up top ↑
Not flyable
High confidence · 4 of 4 models agree · Run: ECMWF
Wind WNW (297°) is outside the window — expect cross/tail or rotor
NESW 297° WNW
Wind now: WNW (297°) Green = in the window · amber = cross/edge · red = wrong way
Wind
3
mph base
Gusts
15
mph
Direction
WNW
297°
Aloft
—
mph
Thermals
Calm
base ~4614ft
Temp
61°
F
Cloudbase
5,142
ft MSL
Elevation
528
ft MSL
Flyable Caution / slim window Not flyable
What we look for here
  • Wind directionESE (120°) → WSW (240°)
  • Ideal speed8–10 mph
  • Upper limits≤ 12 mph base · gusts ≤ 15

South-facing launch (Knik River "The Butte"). Site-guide South Launch data: ideal 8-10 mph from 120-240 deg, max usable ~12 mph base, gust spread small (~3 mph), so keep gusts under ~15. P2 recommended; conditions outside P2 limits can develop. HAZARD: strong SE winds off the Knik Glacier can pick up suddenly and overdevelop the valley/LZ. Watch for dust in the Knik valley as a warning sign - once visible, pilots have ~5 min to land before LZ winds exceed 20 mph. Glide ratio to LZ ~2.7. Launch is a flat, open, grassy south-facing area reached by a hard left off the main (steep, sandy) trail just below the final band of trees beneath the summit, following it west. Best flown in lighter morning/midday conditions before SE glacier flow strengthens.

Next 7 days How calls are made

Today Slim window flyable 6am–7am
5a
1g8
SSE
6a
1g7
SE
7a
1g7
SE
8a
1g8
SE
9a
0g9
NE
10a
0g10
N
11a
0g10
NW
12p
1g10
WSW
1p
1g11
SW
2p
1g12
W
3p
2g14
WNW
4p
3g15
WNW
5p
3g15
WNW
6p
3g15
WNW
7p
3g14
WNW
8p
3g13
WNW
9p
2g13
NW
10p
1g12
NW
Flyable 5am–8am — best around 6am: 1 mph SE, gusts 7. 2 clean hrs, the rest borderline. Light at 1 mph — may be a sledder, not soarable.
Tomorrow Not flyable workable 10pm
5a
1g9
NE
6a
1g7
NNE
7a
1g7
NNE
8a
1g7
NNW
9a
1g9
NNW
10a
1g10
NW
11a
2g11
NW
12p
2g13
NW
1p
2g13
NW
2p
2g13
NW
3p
2g13
WNW
4p
2g13
WNW
5p
2g13
WNW
6p
2g13
WNW
7p
2g13
WNW
8p
1g12
W
9p
1g11
SSW
10p
1g9
SSE
Borderline only 10pm — best around 10pm: 1 mph SSE, gusts 9. All borderline — fly it with a close eye. Light at 1 mph — may be a sledder, not soarable.
Wednesday Flyable flyable 7am
5a
0g7
NE
6a
0g6
E
7a
0g6
SE
8a
0g7
N
9a
1g9
NNW
10a
2g11
NNW
11a
2g12
NNW
12p
2g12
NW
1p
3g13
NW
2p
3g14
NW
3p
3g15
NW
4p
4g15
NW
5p
4g17
NW
6p
4g19
NW
7p
4g19
NW
8p
4g18
NW
9p
3g15
NW
10p
2g13
NW
Flyable 6am–7am — best around 7am: 0 mph SE, gusts 6. 1 clean hr, the rest borderline. Light at 0 mph — may be a sledder, not soarable.
Thursday Flyable flyable 5am–7am
5a
2g6
SE
6a
2g7
SE
7a
2g7
SE
8a
1g9
SSE
9a
1g11
W
10a
3g13
WNW
11a
3g14
WNW
12p
3g15
WNW
1p
3g15
NW
2p
3g15
NW
3p
3g16
NW
4p
4g16
NW
5p
4g16
NW
6p
4g16
NW
7p
4g15
NW
8p
3g15
NW
9p
3g15
WNW
10p
3g15
WNW
Flyable 5am–8am — best around 5am: 2 mph SE, gusts 6. 3 clean hrs, the rest borderline. Light at 2 mph — may be a sledder, not soarable.
Friday Flyable flyable 5am–6am
5a
1g6
SE
6a
2g8
SE
7a
1g9
SE
8a
0g9
SE
9a
1g10
WNW
10a
2g10
NW
11a
2g11
NW
12p
2g11
NW
1p
2g12
NW
2p
3g13
NW
3p
3g15
NW
4p
3g16
NW
5p
2g16
WNW
6p
2g16
WSW
7p
2g16
SW
8p
2g17
SW
9p
2g18
SW
10p
1g18
SW
Flyable 5am–8am — best around 5am: 1 mph SE, gusts 6. 2 clean hrs, the rest borderline. Light at 1 mph — may be a sledder, not soarable.
Saturday Flyable flyable 5am–8am
5a
2g8
SE
6a
3g8
SE
7a
3g8
SE
8a
2g9
SE
9a
1g9
SE
10a
0g10
NW
11a
1g11
NW
12p
1g12
NNW
1p
2g13
NNW
2p
2g13
NNW
3p
1g13
NW
4p
1g13
NW
5p
1g12
SSW
6p
2g12
S
7p
3g12
SSE
8p
3g14
SSE
9p
3g17
SE
10p
2g17
ESE
Flyable 5am–9am — best around 5am: 2 mph SE, gusts 8. 4 clean hrs, the rest borderline. Light at 2 mph — may be a sledder, not soarable.
Sunday Caution workable 5am–8am
5a
2g11
SE
6a
2g11
SE
7a
2g10
SE
8a
2g10
SE
9a
1g9
ESE
10a
1g9
ENE
11a
1g11
NE
12p
0g12
N
1p
0g13
NW
2p
0g13
W
3p
1g12
WSW
4p
1g12
SW
5p
1g12
SW
6p
1g12
WSW
7p
0g12
SW
8p
0g12
S
9p
0g12
S
10p
0g12
SE
Borderline only 5am–8am — best around 5am: 2 mph SE, gusts 11. All borderline — fly it with a close eye. Light at 2 mph — may be a sledder, not soarable.
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Conditions are an automated estimate from public forecast models, not a go/no-go call. Always check the sky, talk to locals, and fly within your rating. You are responsible for your own safety.