ALBUQUERQUE, NM — One of the world’s most photographed events will kick off Saturday with a massive color rise for the 52nd annual Albuquerque International Balloon Festival.
The nine-day event draws hundreds of thousands of spectators and pilots to New Mexico each fall for the rare opportunity to get arm-in-arm as giant balloons are released and inflated. Propane burners roar and hundreds of uniquely shaped balloons fill the sky with vivid colors.
Everyone usually wears layers of clothing to protect against the morning chill, which helps pilots stay in the air longer, but this year’s festival could be the warmest on record, organizers say.
Morning lows and afternoon highs are expected to be above average for several days in the city, which hit 93 degrees Fahrenheit (33.8 degrees Celsius) on Monday, the hottest temperature of the year so far, according to the National Weather Service.
Things are also getting hotter around the world. This year is likely to end as the warmest year ever measured by humans, the European climate service Copernicus reported in early September.
Past festivals have had warm days here and there, but spokesman Tom Garrity said prolonged heat is rarely expected.
For pilots, this could mean shorter flight times or less weight in the basket.
Typically, on cooler mornings, less fuel is needed to keep the balloon aloft. Fiesta experts explain that all it does is create lift by heating the air inside the envelope to a temperature higher than the outside temperature.
“Cooler weather allows pilots to fly for longer periods of time,” Garrity said. “But as temperatures get warmer, that means they spike, go up a little bit, and then come back down. So take a shorter flight.”
Still, hot air balloon flights occur year-round in many locations, including the Phoenix area, which has seen record temperatures in recent months.
“These aren’t really problems from a spectator’s perspective. It makes no difference other than you’re not going to freeze in the wee hours of the morning,” said Troy Bradley, an experienced balloon pilot who has been flying for decades. . .”
Even the festival’s official meteorologist joked about the possibility of wearing shorts this year.
This year’s festival will feature 106 specially shaped balloons, 16 of which will be debuting at the festival for the first time. This includes Mazu, modeled after the sea goddess of the same name, which is deeply rooted in Taiwanese culture and tradition.
