…CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO ON
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY…
.Upper level ridge will flatten on Saturday and Sunday as an
upper level trough races across the Northern Rockies. As a result,
the mid to upper level pressure gradient will tighten across the
region, orientated from SW to NE inducing SWerly flow aloft. This
will ultimately promote daily afternoon/evening occurrences of
lee-side low development over the Front Range and sufficient
surface troughing across New Mexico. Thus, increasing surface and
low-level winds across the area. This coupled with very low
Minimum RH values and dry fuels will promote Critical Fire Weather
conditions this weekend.
The National Weather Service in El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa has
issued a Fire Weather Watch for portions of southern New Mexico,
which is in effect from Sunday afternoon through Sunday evening.
* AFFECTED AREA…Fire Weather Zone 112 South Central Lowlands
and Southern Rio Grande Valley/BLM/GLZ and Fire Weather Zone
113 Capitan and Sacramento Mountains/Lincoln NF/LNZ.
* TIMING…In effect from 12 PM to 9 PM on Sunday.
* WINDS…West 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 30 to 40 mph.
* RELATIVE HUMIDITY…4 to 11 percent.
* EXPERIMENTAL RFTI…4 to 7 or Near-Critical to Critical.
* IMPACTS…Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly.
Outdoor burning is not recommended.